For someone whose career was at the crossroads and faced an uncertain future as a middle-order batsman, Rohit Sharma has undeniably come a long way to become one of the most destructive openers in international cricket. His ascension to the top of the order didn't just give a second wind to his career, but also allowed the Mumbai cricketer to become an irreplaceable asset for Team India.

From carrying the baton for his side in crunch matches, taking some of the best bowling attacks to the cleaners to bulldozing his way to envious batting records, the 33-year-old, over the years, has undeniably established himself as one of the best in the business. Today, Rohit is regarded as the double-hundred expert, six-hitting machine and an IPL-winning phenomenon - feats that others can only dream of.

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A young Rohit began spending countless hours playing cricket with his uncles who all played the game at school and college levels. Soon, his uncles realised his potential and pitched in Rs 50 each to get him enrolled in Dinesh Lad's cricket camp in 1999. It was Lad who didn't just transform Rohit from an off-spinner to a strokeful batsman, but also helped him in getting a scholarship to change his school to attain better cricket facilities.

From there on, Rohit went from scoring a century on his Harris Shield debut to soon rising through the ranks in domestic cricket. While his childhood coach Lad is often credited for Rohit's rise as a cricketer, the Indian opener is also in debt of his uncles who, too, played a key role in his inspirational cricketing journey from playing in Mumbai's suburbs to opening the innings for India.

© Reuters

"I have broken a lot of window glasses. There was a police complaint against me for breaking glasses. Once police came and threatened to put me in jail if repeated. All the neighbours were troubled by us daily (breaking glasses). There were three to four of us who always played cricket. Later we used to go to grounds and play but we never completely let go of playing in our building. We never gave up on that," the right-hander said on the chat show.

Rohit isn't the only one who faced backlash for his sporting abilities growing up as a kid in the neighbourhood, a lot of children still find themselves answering for broken glasses and witness their gully-cricket contests coming to an abrupt end with the confiscation of their cricket balls. But, in Rohit's case, we bet his neighbours would no longer be complaining, for it was their broken windows that played their part in turning Rohit into a match-winner for India.

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