Siddhesh Lad, the childhood friend and longtime teammate of India captain Rohit Sharma, recently opened up about their shared past, revealing untold stories and anecdotes about the cricketer. Siddhesh, son of Dinesh Lad—Rohit's childhood coach—studied with Rohit and played cricket alongside him from their early days.
Having played under Rohit's captaincy in school cricket and later for Mumbai, Siddhesh was also part of the Mumbai Indians squad during IPL 2019. He described Rohit as a 'Shana' (street smart) and explained how the youngster he grew up with evolved into one of the finest cricketers in the world.
Early Days and Talent
Recalling their childhood, Siddhesh said: 'I feel the talent was always there. My first game for the school was under Rohit when I was 10 years old, so we always knew he was special. When we saw him batting in the nets or in games, but with that, he's worked really hard. You just can't reach that level with talent alone.'
'You need to work really, really hard, and add all those things that make you a good, great cricketer. To play at the international level, your routines and preparations have to be good. I've learned a lot from Rohit since my childhood,' he added.
Leadership and Fun Memories
Siddhesh reflected on fun moments from school days and how Rohit naturally emerged as a leader. 'He's always been an inspiration. I've seen him as a schoolboy and as one of the best batsmen in the world. We spent time bunking school—after practice, we extended our two-hour sessions to three or four hours. He was a leader back then. Those were great memories. He was a Shana back then, and he's a Shana now,' Siddhesh said.
Rohit's Remarkable Journey
Rohit Sharma has enjoyed a remarkable journey in international cricket. As captain, he led India to two ICC titles—the T20 World Cup in 2024 and the Champions Trophy in 2025. He also guided Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020), making him one of the most successful captains in IPL history.
In 281 IPL matches, Rohit has scored 7,329 runs at an average of 29.91 and a strike rate of 132.91, with two centuries and 49 half-centuries.
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