New Delhi, Apr 18 (IANS): West Indies cricket legend Brian Lara while sharing his view on what makes Rohit Sharma a special player said the 36-year-old is a leader whether name him captain or not.

He added that Rohit's ability to put both Team India and Mumbai Indians (MI) first sets him apart.

During MI's clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Rohit smashed an unbeaten 105 off 63 balls in a losing cause and in the process the iconic opener achieved two milestones: the most runs by a batter in the MI vs CSK rivalry with 512 runs and counting and the first Indian to hit 500 sixes in T20 cricket.

"When you look at Rohit Sharma, you feel that he connects to the public very well... Spend his entire life from youth to present-day playing for India sometimes not getting the nods from the selectors and having to work his way back and you know. When you have such an image and a statue like Rohit Sharma... sometimes some people don't take the knock-down very well but I think what is very admirable is his ability to put everything aside and put India first and in this case also put Mumbai Indians first and come out and play the cricket the way it should," Lara said on Star Sports.

"He does not look like a big sulker, which is great. He's a leader, doesn't matter if you name captain or not. At some point in time when you get to a certain age, at a certain level you are a leader. I think he represents that role very well," he added.