It was the finals T20 world cup 2007 and a young captain MS Dhoni, soon to be known as captain cool to the world was feeling the exact opposite of cool right now. His senses were dialled up to an eleven, he could here every sound, every breath, every eye upon him and he could feel his heart beat rising, it was not a good sign. The second innings was just about to begin, and the captain sat over thinking with a ton of anxiety. Every worst case scenario seemed to just play inside his head. Suddenly he was brought back to reality by a voice, by a tentative, nervous scared voice, “Bhai?”

“Hey Ro” MS said trying to keep his voice steady.

“Bhai…what happens if we lose today?” His voice sounded lost, stricken and tight.

“Hey, why are you thinking that?” Mahi asked pushing aside his own worry, he couldn’t see this wide eyed little boy tensed like that.

“I don’t know, I am just too…” Rohit trailed off.

“Worked up?” Mahi completed patting his cheeks “Why are you worked up kiddo? This is your first final, you will play so many more.”

“I know but even you look so tensed. Will it be as bad as the world cup if we don’t win this?” He asked, his voice filled with childish worry.

“Hey come here”  Mahi said making Rohit sit beside him, “Why are you thinking so much, remember, at the end of the day final is just another game. Important one, but another game all the same.  No matter what happens, a talented kid like you will get to play lot more cricket, don’t you ever worry about that.”

MS said it because it felt like the correct thing to say and somehow hearing that aloud, seemed calm his own nerves more than Rohit.

“You are right bhai it’s just a game and we will win.” Rohit said enthusiastically “And how can we not, we have you. The innings is about to begin I will get your gloves.”

The belief in his eyes calmed and scared Mahi at the same time. Rohit hopped off the chair and brought Mahi his gloves.

“All the best bhai” Rohit said “We will win today and the world will know how awesome you are,”

“Rohit” Mahi asked suddenly “What if we actually don’t win?”

“Umm” Rohit thought “Well you will still remain awesome.”

Mahi couldn’t help laughing out loud at the childishness of the statement. And suddenly he felt a lot less under pressure. This kid was magic.

*******

Sir Ravidra Jadeja was known to be a goofy a guy. He was prankster, he laughed out loud at almost all situations, even serious ones, especially in serious ones. It was a weird defence mechanism that Jaddu had. And the defence mechanism led to misunderstandings, but there were few people who saw through the armour with ease. One of them was Rohit Sharma.

The environment of the dressing room was more than tense after the Champions trophy 2016 loss. A loss in the final was bad, losing to Pakistan is a nightmare. Virat had had a talk with the team before he kinda a just retreated himself, and Mahi bhai was with him. Bhuvi was trying to look fro Jassi, he knew that kid was somewhere blaming himself. Ro and Jaddu were sitting on the hotel terrace.

“I guess we couldn’t have anything worse than this.” Jaddu chuckled.

“It’s not your fault Jaddu, you know” Rohit said.

“Oh yeah whose it is then?” Jaddu snapped against his general nature.

“Harry blabbers anything don’t take his words into account” Rohit said.

“It’s not his words, he is a kid” Jaddu replied.

“You know what Mahi bhai says” Ro said “We win or lose as a team.”

“It’s all good for saying” Jaddu said “It’s tougher to believe especially when that kid was giving us a chance and I ruined it.”

“Jaddu run outs happen” Rohit said “This one happened at bad moment that’s about it.”

“Of course you would know about run outs.” Jaddu chuckled again.

“That I would.” Ro laughed.

 “It’s tough” Jaddu said atlast “To know that you were close and couldn’t make it, and its worse to know that if only I did something differently we may be could have made it.”

“Jaddu…” Ro started.

“Don’t repeat it’s not my fault” Jaddu said “It isn’t helping. I know what you are trying to say it’s just tough to accept.”

“You will get through it Jad. You are strong.” Ro said  “You are from Jamnagar after all.”

And suddenly both of them started laughing. Jaddu would be fine, he was strong. And Rohit never forgot to remind him that, he did it every time Jaddu was fighting a losing battle. Rohit was Jaddu’s silent champion.

********

It was 2015, Virat had taken the reins of Indian test cricket, team was doing well. But ven with everythin at this moment Virat was a mess, well mess is an understatement he was in shambles. He had become, extremely quite, he gave one word answers to questions. It was better when Mahi bhai was around, but now with the test series going on Virat was again intermittently slipping back to his quite self.  

The whole team knew the reason behind Virat’s demeanour, nobody said it, they just knew and it had everything to do with his break up with Anushka.

Ro hated to see Vi go quite, it wasn’t like he was quite all the time, he would be normal and then slip into the phase. Ro hated that a girl had this much affect on Vi.

And it didn’t help India has lost the match today. And what was worse was Vi who had been normal for about a week now, had reverted back to the quietness.  And Ro just didn’t know what to do.

He missed the old Vi do bad. It would help if Virat would shout, cry, do something but he wasn’t doing anything.

How can he jolt Virat back to his normal self, take his mind off it.

He decided to look for Virat and thankfully he found Virat in his room. Suddenly Ro thought of something.

He went over and unceremoniously plopped himself beside Vi on the bed.

Vi looked at him “Why are you here?” Vi asked.

“Nothing” Ro said

“Please I wanna be alone” Vi said, Ro didn’t move.

After few minuted Rohit spoke, “Move you are on my side of the bed.” Ro said

“What do you mean?” Virat was confused “Its my room.”

“Make space I wanna sleep its my side of the bed” Ro said.

“Go to your room and sleep” Vi said.

“No I am gonna sleep here” Ro said “Don’t be jerk.”

“Why are you talking like an idiot Ro” Virat said

“No” Ro said “I am not. You move” he said poking Virat on the ribs.

“What wrong with you?” Vi shouted at last “Have you gone completely mad?”

“I…” Ro was about to say something witty.

“I am telling you I wanna be alone why don’t you leave me” Vi said now shouting at top of his voice “Everyone leaves, eventually you will too, why are you giving me hope then.”  

Virat broke down at the last sentence.

Ro tightly wrapped his arms around Virat, “I am not gonna leave you Vi, I am never gonna leave you. I will irritate you, fight with you, but not leave you. Even if you try to make me leave I will stick with you.”

Vi kept sobbing.

“I love you so much Vi. You are my best friend.” Ro said “I miss my old Vi.”

Vi cried his heart out in Ro’s arms and eventually both ended up falling asleep in Vi’s room.

Next morning Ro was rudely awaken by water being poured on his head.

“WHAT?” He shouted.

“Get up.” Vi smiled at him.

“What was that for?” Ro asked “We don’t have practice today.”

“Its 11 am” Vi said “Besides the look on your face was priceless.”

“I will kill you” RO threw a pillow at him.

Vi wasn’t completely ok, it would take time but he knew Rohit would be there to catch him everytime he slipped. And thought alone was enough strength for him to fight.

*******

Jinks is a calm guy by nature. He always has been collected and disciplined. But no amount of discipline could probably prepare a person for becoming a father.

And he was besides himself with worry now, as they took Radhika to the delivery room and he waited out.

Suddenly his phone rang and he smiled seeing the number, it was Rohit video calling.

“Hey” Rohit’s face flashed on screen “When’s the baby due?”

“In a few hours” Jinks said.

“All good?” Rohit asked.

“Touchwood, yes” Jinks replied.

There was silence for a few seconds, then Jinks spoke in a quite tone, “What is it like? Bieng a father I mean.”

Rohit paused, trying to decide what to say.

“Scary” He replied honestly at last.

“I don’t know” Jinks said “I am feeling so unsettled. The baby isn’t born yet and I feel like I could do anything for it and then I feel like what if I fail.”

“You won’t fail.” Ro said “The moment the kid is in your arms you will know that you can never fail. And when they look at you like they are your world, everything else pales in comparison to that.”

“I just hope everything goes well.” Jinks said.

“It will Jinks, you will be a great father I know.” Ro assured “Besides you have enough experience babysitting me and Vi.”

Jinks laughed at this, he felt so much better after talking to Ro.

“Thanks buddy” Jinks said “I will call you later”

“Can’t wait to meet the new bundle of joy” Ro said cutting the call.

*******

 Rohit Sharma wasn’t calm and cool like MS, Ro want enigmatic Virat Kohli or he didn't have Jaddu's attitude or Jinks's calmness. Rohit was Rohit and that’s what made him best. He had his ways of getting to you, of making you laugh even at your worst moments, of brightening you up in your darkest days. He was goofy, lovable adorable idiot with a huge heart. Vi, Mahi. Jaddu, Jinksy might not say it out aloud, but at least once in their lives they must have said in their minds “Thank God for Rohit Sharma.”

A/N: Happy birthday Neha bleedblue2011...I was wondering what I could write for your birthday and I thought what better than a celebration of your favourite player, Rohit Sharma.
Though you are my Virat, but I know how much yoh love Rohit, in fact I haven't met a crazier Rohit fan than you.
You have been an amazing albiet irritating friend to me all this while and I am so glad to have found you.
And you know how much Jinksy loves his Vi don't you?