NEW DELHI: It has been a year and a half since Rohit Sharma retired from T20Is, yet his aura continues to mesmerise former South Africa batter Hashim Amla, who called the former India captain his favourite T20 batter. Rohit, however, continues to play in the Indian Premier League.

During a podcast with Subhankar Mishra, South African legend Amla was asked to name his current favorite T20I batters. He singled out former Indian captain Rohit Sharma as a player he particularly enjoys watching.

"Rohit Sharma is still one of my favourites. I love watching him the elegance he brings to the game is unmatched. Even in T20 cricket, he plays with such smoothness. His shots, he is beautiful to watch. For me, he's the top T20 batsman, and in ODIs, he's definitely among the top three," he said.

Amla also named South Africa's star batter Heinrich Klaasen, describing him as one of the most intimidating batters in the world. He rounded off his list by including India's current T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav.

Rohit's next international assignment

The veteran opener is expected to feature next in the three-match ODI series against South Africa, beginning November 30 in Ranchi. His last appearance for India came during the Australia tour, where he struck an unbeaten 121 in Sydney to guide India to a nine-wicket win.

Rohit, Kohli sent strong message

Former Australian captain Steve Waugh has reignited the debate over the future of Virat Kohli and Rohit, stressing that the game is bigger than any individual.

"The players have to take some responsibility and realise that the game is bigger than the individual. You can't put yourself above the game. You've got to realise that the game moves on and someone else will take your place. You're not irreplaceable. So I think the players can't dictate the game. At the end of the day, the chairman of selectors has got to make a call for the better," Waugh told senior journalist Vimal Kumar on his YouTube channel.