Tag: ROHIT SHARMA

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‘End of an Era’

After the match concluded, Kohli announced his retirement from T20I cricket, followed later by captain Rohit bidding farewell to the format during the post-match press conference….reports Asian Lite News

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has paid heartfelt tribute to two stalwarts of Indian cricket, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, on their T20Is retirement after the historic seven-run win over South Africa in the T20 World Cup final on Saturday.

 After the conclusion of the match, Kohli announced that it was his final T20I game and was later joined by captain Rohit, who also bid adieu to the format in the post-match press conference.

“An Era Comes To An End in T20Is! The Aura Will Stay Forever! 2 Legends of the game. Thank you, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli,” BCCI wrote on X.     

Both Kohli and Rohit had blistering T20I careers for India and the former represented the country in each of the T20 World Cups so far after making his debut against South Africa in 2007.

Kohli’s T20 journey began in June 2010. Over 14 years, he featured in 125 T20Is, amassing 4188 runs, which included one century and 38 half-centuries. His relentless dedication and passion for the game made him the second-highest run-getter in T20Is, just behind his teammate Rohit Sharma.

On the other hand, Rohit’s illustrious T20I career ended as the format’s highest scorer, amassing 4231 runs in 159 matches. He also holds the record for the most centuries in T20 internationals, with five to his name. His T20I journey began with the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, where he was a key player in India’s first title win. Now, as captain, he has led India to their second title, further cementing his legacy.

Meanwhile, left-arm spin all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja said he is retiring from T20Is after winning Men’s T20 World Cup title at the Kensington Oval on Saturday. Jadeja was a member of the playing eleven when India beat South Africa by seven runs to win its second T20 World Cup title after beating South Africa by seven runs.

He now follows Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli into retiring from T20Is after achieving elusive trophy glory in Barbados, where India became the first team to win the title as an unbeaten side. Jadeja had missed 2022 edition of the tournament due to a knee injury, and wrote on Instagram he will continue representing the country in ODIs & Tests.

“With a heart full of gratitude, I bid farewell to T20 internationals. Like a steadfast horse galloping with pride, I’ve always given my best for my country and will continue to do so in other formats.”

“Winning the T20 World Cup was a dream come true, a pinnacle of my T20 International career. Thank you for the memories, the cheers, and the unwavering support. Jai hind Ravindrasinh Jadeja,” he said.

Since his debut in 2009 against Sri Lanka, Jadeja played 74 T20Is for India, making 515 runs at an average of 21.45 and strike-rate of 127.16, apart from taking 28 catches on the field and earning a reputation of being a swift fielder at point region. With the ball, he picked 54 wickets at an average of 29.85 and economy rate of 7.13.

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India Lifts Second T20 WC Title After 17 Years

India now join West Indies and England as two-time winners of the Men’s T20 World Cup, and give a winning farewell to head coach Rahul Dravid.

South Africa needed 30 runs off 30 balls to win the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup. But Hardik Pandya’s 3-20 and Jasprit Bumrah’s 2-18 helped an unbeaten India to come back and clinch their second title in the shortest format with a seven-run win at the Kensington Oval on Saturday.

Talismanic batter Virat Kohli stepped up to end his lean run with a 59-ball 76 to help India post a competitive 176/7, the highest total in a Men’s T20 World Cup final. His 72-run stand for the fourth wicket with Axar Patel, who made 47 off 31 balls, and a 57-run partnership with Shivam Dube, who hit a 16-ball 27, helped India go past 175-run mark, as they got 42 runs off the last three overs.

In reply, South Africa were very much in sight to chase down the total. But Hardik taking out Heinrich Klaasen propelled India to come back into the match and emerge victorious to end a long 11-year global trophy drought as they restricted South Africa to 169/8.

India now join West Indies and England as two-time winners of the Men’s T20 World Cup, and give a winning farewell to head coach Rahul Dravid. With the ultimate glory achieved, it made way for emotional scenes – hugs, handshakes and tears welling up in the Indian camp, with ‘chak de india’ and ‘lehra do’ blaring from the loudspeakers.

(Photo X@ICC)

It also meant Virat Kohli signed off from playing T20Is for India on a high with the World Cup trophy and the Player of the Match award in the final. When it mattered the most for India, Kohli stood up to be the hero of India’s innings with his crucial knock laced with six fours and two sixes.

Kohli got India going with three boundaries – drive through point, whip through square leg, and straight drive – on overpitched deliveries from Marco Jansen, as 15 runs came off the opening over. Rohit Sharma got going with a cut and reverse-sweep fetching him consecutive deliveries off Keshav Maharaj.

But Maharaj bounced back as he had Rohit sweeping aerially to square leg to fall for nine, followed by dismissing Rishabh Pant for a two-ball duck when the top-edge on his sweep off a full and wide ball ballooned off the toe-end to keeper Quinton de Kock.

Kagiso Rabada struck in the fifth over when Suryakumar Yadav moved across to whip a back-of-a-length ball, but fine leg advanced to his left and took a spectacular catch to fall for just three, as India were reduced to 34/3 in 4.3 overs.

With Kohli taking up the busy strike rotation role in rebuilding India’s innings, pinch-hitter Axar took up attacking mantle by clipping Rabada for four, clearing deep mid-wicket to get a six off Markram, slog-sweeping Maharaj for a maximum over the same region and hitting a flat six down on one knee to just clear long-on for a six off Tabraiz Shamsi.

Axar brought up India’s hundred in 13.1 overs by hammering Rabada for a six down the ground. But a ball and wide later, South Africa produced a moment of magic when Kohli missed a delivery and the ball went behind to de Kock, who ran-out Axar, who turned back and ran slowly, with a direct hit and send him back for 47.

(Photo X@ICC)

With Kohli still finding fielders and not getting timing to hit boundaries, Dube got in to loft Jansen for six and then slog-sweep Shamsi for four more. After Kohli got his first fifty of the tournament in 48 balls with a single off Nortje, Dube ended the 17th over with a slice past backward point for four.

Kohli got his first six of the competition by slogging Rabada over long-on for six and then pulled the pacer for four more, as 16 runs came off 18th over. Kohli clipped and slogged Jansen for four and six respectively, before the pacer dragged his length back and had the batter holing out to long-on.

Hardik Pandya came in and top-edged a pull off Jansen over keeper’s head for four, as 17 runs came off the 19th over. Dube struck Nortje down the ground past a diving mid-on for four, before the pacer bounced back by taking out him and Ravindra Jadeja on the last three balls of the innings to take India to a competitive total.

Player of the Tournament Bumrah gave India the perfect start to their defence of 177 by castling Reeza Hendricks with an outswinger in the second over. Arshdeep Singh struck in the next over as Aiden Markram chased a wide wobble-seam delivery and Pant dived to his right to complete the catch.

Quinton de Kock guided Bumrah in the gap between slip and short third man for four, before he and Tristan Stubbs took a boundary each off Axar Patel in the fifth over. De Kock ended the power-play with a four cut off Kuldeep Yadav as South Africa made 42/2 in the six-over phase.

Stubbs nailed his slog-sweep off Axar for four, before smashing an off-drive off Kuldeep for picking another boundary. De Kock brought up the half-century of his partnership with a booming slog-sweep off Kuldeep sailing over the solar-panelled stadium roof for six.

Stubbs stayed low to sweep a short ball from Axar for four, before moving across to sweep again off the spinner. But he missed the delivery and was bowled around his legs to be out for 31 as India broke the 58-run third-wicket stand in the ninth over.

Heinrich Klaasen began by slapping a short and wide ball from Hardik Pandya for six, before going on backfoot to club Ravindra Jadeja down the ground for another maximum. The shot of the innings came from Klaasen when he stood still and deep in the crease to loft Kuldeep over extra cover for six.

De Kock welcomed Arshdeep with a flicked four, but an attempt to pull resulted in the batter giving a catch to fine leg in the 13th over. Miller got into the act by cutting Kuldeep through four and rocking back at the crease to pull over mid-wicket for six.

Klaasen again stayed deep in the crease to whack Axar down the ground for four and followed it up with muscling consecutive leg-side sixes, before bringing out lofted drive over extra cover for another boundary as 24 runs came off the 15th over.

Klaasen got his fifty in 23 balls, but the turning point of the match came when he nicked behind to Pant while chasing a wide delivery from Pandya to fall for 52 off 27 deliveries. With pressure building in, Bumrah came to castle Jansen through the gate to end his day with 2-18.

After Arshdeep gave away four runs in the 19th over, the equation came down to 16 needed off the last over. Miller went for a loft off Hardik, but it came off the toe-end and Suryakumar, at long-off, ran to lob the ball in the air and came back on the field to take the catch and have him out for 17-ball 21. Hardik had Rabada holing out in the deep as India held their nerve to win the title and spark jubilant plus emotional scenes in Barbados and at home.

Brief Scores: India 176/7 (Virat Kohli 76, Axar Patel 47; Keshav Maharaj 2-23, Anrich Nortje 2-26) beat South Africa 169/8 (Heinrich Klaasen 52, Quinton de Kock 39; Hardik Pandya 3-20, Jasprit Bumrah 2-18) by seven runs

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Rohit Captains ICC ODI Dream Team

Rohit continued his remarkable record in ODI cricket with yet another sensational year in 2023 with the bat as he amassed a whopping 1255 runs at an average of 52….reports Asian Lite News

India skipper Rohit Sharma was named captain with five other Indians making the cut for ICC Men’s ODI team of the year released on Tuesday.

Joining Rohit in the ODI team of the year are Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Mohammad Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammad Shami, with Travis Head (Australia), Daryl Mitchell (New Zealand), Heinrich Klaasen (wk) (South Africa), Marco Jansen (South Africa), Adam Zampa (Australia) also making the cut.

Rohit continued his remarkable record in ODI cricket with yet another sensational year in 2023 with the bat as he amassed a whopping 1255 runs at an average of 52. He was at his brilliant best throughout much of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, with his magnificent knock of 131 against Afghanistan in Delhi a clear highlight.

Gill established himself as Rohit’s preferred partner at the top of batting order at the start of 2023 when he smashed a wonderful 208 from just 149 deliveries against New Zealand in Hyderabad.

It was one of five occasions that Gill managed to reach triple figures in 50-over in 2023 and no player finished with more runs (1584) than the star right-hander compiled during the calendar year.

Kohli compiled yet another consistent 12 months in 2023 and only teammate Shubman Gill bettered his total of 1377 runs during the calendar year.

Kohli reached three figures on six occasions in 2023, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most international centuries during India’s World Cup campaign on his way to winning the Player of the Tournament award at the showcase event.

The exciting right-armer, Siraj, collected a total of 44 wickets during 2023, with his most impressive performance coming in the final of the Asia Cup as he single-handedly destroyed Sri Lanka’s strong batting line-up.

He ripped through the Sri Lanka top-order on his way to career-best figures of 6/21 as India clinched the Asia Cup title in style, and entered their home World Cup campaign full of confidence.

No player in the world picked up more wickets than Kuldeep last year, with the in-form left-arm spinner finishing 2023 with an imposing total of 49 ODI scalps.

Kuldeep’s biggest haul came against arch-rival Pakistan during the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup as the spinner collected the excellent figures of 5/25 to help India on their path to the title

Ashwin, Jadeja in Test Team

Ace Indian spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have been named in the ICC Men’s Team of the Year led by Australia skipper Pat Cummins released on Tuesday.

Ashwin and Jadeja joined Usman Khawaja (Australia), Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka), Kane Williamson (New Zealand), Joe Root (England), Travis Head (Australia), Ravindra Jadeja (India), Alex Carey (wk) (Australia), Mitchell Starc (Australia), Stuart Broad (England) in the Test Team of the Year.

Ashwin was the leading wicket-taker for India in the Border-Gavaskar series, finishing with 25 wickets in four matches. In the very first Test, Ashwin bagged a five-for in the second innings to go with handy contributions with the bat in each innings.

His all-round showing fetched him the Player of the Series. Despite the stellar showing, Ashwin did not find a place in India’s XI for the WTC23 Final against the same opponent but made a mark on his comeback into the Test team with 12 wickets (5/60 and 7/71) in the first game against West Indies followed by fifty and three wickets in the next game.

On the other hand, Jadeja kicked off 2023 in spectacular fashion, delivering a standout performance against Australia in Nagpur with a five-wicket haul and a half-century. He followed up with an even more impressive showing in the next game, securing a 10-wicket match haul, including a seven-for in the second innings, instrumental in India retaining the trophy.

Continuing his fine form, he claimed five more wickets in the series and carried the momentum into the World Test Championship Final against Australia, where he contributed with four wickets and a valuable 48 with the bat, despite India ultimately facing defeat.

Jadeja began the new iteration of the World Test Championship in the same vein, scalping seven wickets and scoring a fifty against West Indies in the two-match series away from home.

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Dravid Impressed by Rohit’s Incredible Hitting

Bengaluru: Third T20 cricket match between India and Afghanistan

The series against Afghanistan, which India won 3-0, saw Rohit’s return to T20Is alongside Virat Kohli…reports Asian Lite News

India head coach Rahul Dravid was left in awe of captain Rohit Sharma’s unbeaten 121 in the thrilling third T20I at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, saying the level of hitting he saw from the right-handed opener was incredible.

The series against Afghanistan, which India won 3-0, saw Rohit’s return to T20Is alongside Virat Kohli. But Rohit had a less-than-an-ideal start, bagging two successive ducks. At the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday evening, Rohit struck his fifth T20I century in India’s double super over win.

“Honestly, I think he was brilliant today. He has just shown what a class player he can be. We were 22 for 4 at one stage and even when I went in (at drinks) in the 10th over, the talk was always about being positive. Obviously, you had to protect the game a little bit (at 22 for 4).”

“You always have the mindset of going out and set the pace of the game, but in games like this, sometimes you have to hold back a little bit. You can’t hold back too much at this ground because you know you need a big score, towards the end, and I thought that level of hitting was incredible,” said Dravid to broadcasters after the match ended.

During his 121 not out off 69 balls, Rohit also became the first man to hit five T20I centuries as India made 212/4, with 103 of those runs coming in the last five overs. Rohit took time till the 12th over, before accelerating in an unbelievable fashion by smashing 93 runs in the last 35 balls he faced.

“The thing with Rohit is the kind of range that he has, it’s hard to bowl at him when he’s set at the back end. You can’t bowl short because he’s really good with the pull, (can’t) bowl up and he’s got a great range as well. It’s really good to have him back, just his presence in the dressing room has been very helpful. Both Virat (Kohli) and him add a lot to this group,” added Dravid.

In between of bringing out his vintage shots and carting bowlers all over the park, Rohit even indulged in some reverse sweeps and a switch hit, which collectively came to five times. Dravid was in praise of Rohit trying unconventional shots to get valuable runs for the team.

“We’ve been chatting about it. We’ve been talking to a lot of our players about opening up square parts of the wicket, looking to use the sweeps and reverse sweeps, and practicing them. It was nice to see that Rohit is again leading from the front in that department as well.

“Sometimes you play good spin, and Qais Ahmad is one spinner who spun it early on. To counter him, to recognise that going straight [down the ground] to him would have been difficult and using the square part of the boundary was really clever thinking.”

Dravid also lauded middle-order batter Rinku Singh, who was unbeaten on 69 off 39 balls and shared a 192-run stand with Rohit for the fifth wicket. Since his T20I debut in 2023, Rinku has amassed 356 runs in 11 innings at an average of 89 and a strike rate of 176.23.

“For someone who is just starting out in international cricket, just the maturity he’s shown, the calmness is terrific. “We’ve seen him come in at the back end of an innings and finish games off, but it was great to see him come in at 22 for 4 in the sixth over and to just build that partnership and show what he can do at the back end, it was very good for us to see that.”

“When we have these conversations with him, he’s very clear about his skills, what he knows what his strengths are, what he needs to work on and how he’s going to go about constructing his innings,” concluded Dravid.

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Rohit Happy with Team’s Performance

Rohit said that they clearly communicated their goals, and he feels proud seeing the team’s performance, especially in the last two games where they achieved many objectives…reports Asian Lite News

After half-centuries from opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and all-rounder Shivam Dube guided India to beat Afghanistan by six wickets and seal the series, captain Rohit Sharma said his team have almost ticked every box in both matches so far.

At the Holkar Stadium on Sunday evening, Rohit fell for a golden duck in the opening over of India’s chase of 173. But knocks of 68 off 34 balls from Jaiswal, his fourth T20I fifty and an unbeaten 63 off 32 balls from Dube, his second successive half-century, apart from a 92-run stand between the duo, helped India chase down the target with 26 balls to spare.

“We have been clear with what we wanted to do, very clear message to everyone and when you see a performance like that, you can be really proud. One thing is talking about it, but to actually go there and play that way is a proud feeling. The last two games, we’ve ticked a lot of boxes.”

“They’ve had a great couple of years, Jaiswal has played Test cricket now and even T20I. He has shown what he is capable of. He has the talent and has a great range of shots. Dube is a big guy, very powerful and can take on the spinners. That is his role and he has come out and played two crucial innings for us,” said Rohit after the match ended.

It was also Rohit’s 150th T20I game and though he fell for a second successive duck, the right-handed batter was pleased over reaching a significant milestone. “It is a great feeling, it has been a long journey starting way back in 2007. I’ve cherished every moment I have spent here.”

With the ball, left-arm spinner Axar Patel led the charge with figures of 2-17 while Arshdeep Singh picked three wickets to bowl out Afghanistan for 172 despite Gulbadin Naib’s 57. The performance was good enough for Axar to pick the Player of the Match award. He credited change in pace and sticking to his plans as his mantra for success in T20I bowling.

“Feels good, I just realised that I have got 200 T20 wickets. But what is important to keep doing well for India, honestly a few years later I won’t remember how many wickets I took. I have been trying to bowl a bit slower, vary my lengths and now I have been to gauge these things better. Now I have the confidence to bowl at all times, even in the powerplay.”

“You need to be mentally prepared as a bowler in T20 cricket. Ready to concede a six because that same ball could get you a wicket on another day. Earlier, I used to vary my plans if a batter was hitting me, but now I stick to my plans and make the batters take the chance against me.”

Afghanistan skipper Ibrahim Zadran was in praise of Naib’s performance, though he rued the inconsistency of his team in various phases of the game. “We were quite short. We had a good start in the powerplay. Sometimes we play well in the powerplay, sometimes in the middle (overs), and sometimes in the death overs.”

“We are going for the T20 World Cup, so we don’t want to repeat these mistakes. Gulbadin is the most senior guy in the team; we trust him and when he played a few shots in the powerplay, we wanted him to take that momentum throughout the innings.”

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‘Time for Rohit, Virat’s T20 Comeback’

Colombo : Indian captain Rohit Sharma and batsman Virat Kohli running between the wickets during the Asia Cup 2023 ODI cricket match between India and Sri Lanka at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday, September 12, 2023. (Photo:IANS)

Rohit and Virat were absent from T20I for over a year, engaged in preparations for the 2023 World Test Championship final and the 2023 ODI World Cup, where India finished as runners-up in both events…reports Asian Lite News

One of the biggest talking points from India’s selection for the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan, starting from January 11, has been the return of captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who are now in line to mark their first T20I appearance after playing in the T20 World Cup in Australia in November 2022.

Amidst the chatter over recall of Rohit and Virat being a step back from India’s youthful policy in the format, MSK Prasad, the former India chief selector, thinks the duo should be getting back to action in the shortest format and said there are no doubts in his mind about the veteran duo playing the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies from June 1-29.

“I do understand that Rohit and Virat were given a bit of rest after the South Africa tour. I think that was needed, after a mega event like the ODI World Cup. They needed that kind of a break. So, fortunately, they have had a healthy break and have done reasonably well, the youngsters. See, my opinion is there’s absolutely no doubt that Virat and Rohit will be a part of the T20 World Cup, so they should start playing right from this series,” said Prasad to Star Sports.

Rohit and Virat had been absent from the T20I format for more than a year due to being present in lead-up to the 2023 World Test Championship final and the ODI World Cup in 2023 on home soil, where India finished runners-up on both occasions.

“The question arises, why they didn’t play after the last T20 World Cup. The reason they didn’t play is we were heading towards an ODI World Cup, so we predominantly wanted to focus on ODIs. That’s the reason they offered other youngsters who were maybe thinking towards the T20 World Cup.”

“So that’s a wonderful thing from both of them, and even the selectors and team management have got it right. Because if we are heading towards the ODI World Cup, it is better to focus on the ODIs, and we had the WTC also. So, they were focusing on test cricket and ODI cricket. Now that we are heading towards a T20, they should be back to action,” added Prasad, the former India wicketkeeper-batter.

It will be the first time India will be facing Afghanistan in a bilateral men’s T20I series, with the matches happening on January 11, 14 and 17 in Mohali, Indore and Bengaluru respectively. This will be India’s last international series before the T20 World Cup.

“I would definitely prefer to have the best possible team. The reason is that these are the only three T20s that are left before we get into the IPL and get into an actual T20 format. But for the injured players, I think I would definitely have our main players playing in this T20. Let’s not forget that Afghanistan is a very competitive side and will do whatever possible,” added Prasad.

He also thinks the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee will have a headache over picking India’s squad for the mega event. “I think players like Virat, Rohit, even for that matter, Shami, Bumrah, Siraj, Jadeja, and Hardik, other than those names, there are a few places where I feel players like Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson, if KL Rahul is keeping wickets, who is your second keeper? What if Rishabh Pant is fit? What if Ishan Kishan is ready?”

“If we are going to pick him, what order is it? So I don’t think that we need somebody at the top of the order. We needed someone in the middle order, so if Sanju throws his hat into the selection, all these things will definitely come into the picture.”

“Somebody like Yashasvi Jaiswal or even Shubman Gill, form will definitely be a factor, he’s established but still these are few places which will definitely depend on the form they will exhibit in the IPL. So it’s important they keep ringing the bell so the selectors have a good headache.”

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Rohit Sharma Prefers Performance Over Pressure

India is eyeing to claim a third Men’s ODI World Cup title after achieving previous successes in 1983 and 2011….reports Asian Lite News

India captain Rohit Sharma stated that while there would be pressure before leading the side in the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup on home soil, his point is to overcome it by keeping that factor aside and focusing on the job at hand.

India is eyeing to claim a third Men’s ODI World Cup title after achieving previous successes in 1983 and 2011. The 13th edition of the tournament sees India being the sole hosts of this event after being co-hosts on three previous occasions in 1987, 1996 and 2011.

“All these guys are quite used to going through that pressure, whether it’s playing India or away from India, pressure is something that is not going to leave a sportsman. As long as you play the sport, the pressure is always going to be there.”

“So keep that aside, focus on the job at hand. It’s very easy to say that, but it’s going to be tough. But I’m sure, we prepared really well and as long as you prepare really well, that gives you a lot of confidence going into any game,” said Rohit during the ICC Captains Call in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

Rohit, who missed out on 2011 World Cup squad selection, further said, “I’m very grateful to be leading this team into this World Cup. I’ve seen the history of the World Cup being played and the people who have taken part in this World Cup. So I’m quite lucky to be leading this team into this World Cup. It’s quite exciting at the same time.”

The last three editions of the Men’s ODI World Cup have been won by host nations – India (2011), Australia (2015) and England (2019). But Rohit wasn’t thinking too much about this sequence continuing in 2023.

“Not thinking too much about it. Honestly, (while) it has happened in the last three editions of the World Cup, but all I can say is we’re going to try our best, give it our best and enjoy the tournament.”

Rohit added that given the tournament’s round-robin format, India cannot afford to get too far ahead of themselves at the outset and must take each match as it comes.

“That’s all I can say at this point in time. Because you know it’s a pretty long tournament and I do understand that you can’t get too far ahead of yourself. So it’s important for us that we try and focus on one job at a time and then move on.”

Both of India’s warm-up fixtures leading into the Men’s ODI World Cup against England and Netherlands were washed out due to rain. They will now play their opening World Cup match against Australia on October 8 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

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‘Express Yourself’: Gill on Rohit’s Style

Rohit Sharma’s standout quality as a player and captain is his belief in empowering players to make their own decisions on the field, even advising the coaches to trust the players’ judgment, says Shubman Gill

Stylish Indian batter Shubman Gill lavished praise on Rohit Sharma, saying the Indian skipper give a lot of freedom to players to express themselves.

Speaking to JioCinema, Gill also discussed his red-hot form, World Cup preparation, his love affair with Ahmedabad, what he loves about skipper Rohit, and how the series with Australia is preparing India for their encounter in Chennai during the World Cup.

Excerpts:

You’ve had an amazing 2023. Looking at this, do you think your run-up to the World Cup has been perfect?

Yes, this year has been great for me. The preparation for the World Cup has been good. We have gotten good momentum from the Asia Cup as well. I think peaking at the right time is crucial ahead of a big tournament with so many matches.

What are the differences between T20 and ODI cricket? What changes do you bring into your game based on the format?

I think time is the main factor. In an ODI, we have a lot more time, especially we realized that the team that plays well between the 15th and 40th over has the best chance of winning. We don’t play as much one-day cricket as we used to, so exercising patience in that period is very important. Whichever team plays the middle period well, will do well.

How did you adapt your game for a formidable challenge like Australia in an ODI series?

Staying mentally prepared is crucial. You can’t give them any room to enter the game, they fight till the end. It’s important that we don’t give them any space to get in and kill the game whenever we get the chance to do so.

This is a team that’s beaten us at home in 2019 and March 2023. Does the preparation change against a team like this?

Definitely. I think that is a sign of a good team. They beat us in the series we played in March and they came back from 1-0 down. This is a great test before the World Cup match in Chennai, to improve our areas. More important than this series is the match-up in Chennai for the World Cup. All the things that will help us there will be learned over here.

Tell us a bit about Rohit Sharma and what kind of conversations you have with him.

A: He gives a lot of freedom to players to express themselves. He tells the coaches as well to let the players make their own decisions on the field and that the player should be the best judge, and that is his best quality as a player and captain.

You’re a different player playing in Ahmedabad. What is it about the city that brings out that side of you?

They have an incredible crowd. The capacity is massive and it’s a motivating factor for me. Outside of that, the atmosphere could be intimidating for someone playing there for the first time, but I really enjoy it. I feel good in that space.

Any special preparation for Australia?

There is no special technical preparation. It’s mainly mental preparation to ensure that the areas you know they can bother you in, you don’t take that on your ego and work on that. Sometimes you feel like you can hit every ball for four but it’s important to be patient and control yourself. It’s all mental, nothing technical.

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Rohit has some plans for World Cup

Although India hasn’t progressed beyond the semi-final stage in the previous two Men’s Cricket World Cups, the captain holds the belief that his team can replicate the achievement of his fellow countrymen in 2011…reports Asian Lite News

India captain Rohit Sharma has reflected on ODI World Cup memories and looked ahead optimistically to a home campaign beginning in October, saying that the team needs to play well the entire month, month and a half, and be consistent to win the mega event.

While India may not have advanced past the semi-final stage in the last two Men’s Cricket World Cups, the skipper believes his side can emulate the 2011 success of his compatriots.

On hand during the Barbados leg of the Cricket World Cup 2023 Trophy Tour, posing with the prize on offer come November 19, Rohit expressed the importance of measure and patience in India’s preparation.

“We are back home again this year, so hopefully we can turn things around. It’s still a long way to go and we know you can’t win the World Cup in one or two days, you’ve got to play well the entire month, month and a half, and be consistent,” the India captain was quoted as saying by ICC.

“We are trying everything we can from our perspective to make sure we are ready for that World Cup,” he added.

For many, Rohit’s input with the bat will be vital during the tournament. Not only did he top the runs tally at the 2019 event (648 runs at 81) — he plundered five centuries at the tournament — and is under no illusions that for India to fire, he must go close to emulating his success four years ago even in the maelstrom of fanfare and pressure that comes with a home campaign.

“I was in a good mind space (in 2019), I was feeling really good about my cricket, prepared really well before the World Cup and when you’re heading into a tournament like that, all you want to do is start well, mentally and physically fresh and then everything falls into place,” Rohit added.

“I started really well in that tournament, got a hundred in the first game, and then for me, it was all about carrying that forward. Obviously you take a lot of confidence about what you’ve done in the past, but starting afresh and starting new was very important. I was in a great mind space at that point in time and looking forward to creating that again,” he added.

To find inspiration for the upcoming tournament, the 36-year-old reflected on some of his early World Cup memories, first citing Ajay Jadeja’s catch of Allan Border in 1992.

Running and diving to remove the dangerous left-hander, the catch to Rohit symbolises India’s move into modern-day limited overs cricket, evolving into the work of Sachin Tendulkar into the early 2000s.

“I remember famously, Ajay Jadeja’s catch. I remember that because that actually is stuck in everyone’s mind, even now. It took our fielding to the next level,” Rohit noted.

“I remember every little moment of all the World Cups. 1999 as well, the first thing that comes to mind is that Herschelle Gibbs catch which cost them the World Cup I believe. And then 2003 where India played really well up until the finals. Sachin Tendulkar was amazing with the bat,” he added.

As for India’s victorious 2011 campaign, the victory was somewhat bittersweet for the now-skipper, having to watch from home. He admits he debated watching the campaign at all after the disappointment of missing out on squad selection, but u-turned knowing how significant a global tournament victory would be for his country and colleagues.

“2011 was the memorable one for all of us, I remember watching it from home, every single match.There were two kinds of emotions. One obviously I was not part of it so I was a little disappointed and I decided I was not going to watch the World Cup,” Rohit said.

“But again the second memory I remember was that India was playing so well. Quarter-finals and onwards, the big quarter-final was against Pakistan and I know how much pressure is on the players when you play all these games, so I can only imagine what each player must have gone through in that time.

And then the semi-final against Australia, it was a brilliant finish by Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh) and (Suresh) Raina at the back,” he added.

As for how India will get behind his men, and with a twinkle in his eye glancing at the Cricket World Cup trophy, the experienced batter knows his side will have the support of an entire nation.

“I know for a fact that every ground, every venue that we will be travelling to will get massive support,” Rohit said.

“It’s the World Cup, so everyone is looking forward to this and the World Cup coming back to India after 12 years. People are quite excited and we can see the buzz already back home. I’ll be looking forward to playing in all venues.

I have never seen this trophy from this close. When we won in 2011, I was not a part of the squad, but it is beautiful and has so many memories behind it. Hopefully we can lift it, fingers crossed,” he added.

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Gavaskar disappointed with Rohit’s captaincy

Rohit took over the captaincy reins in February last year after Virat Kohli’s time as the skipper came to an end…reports Asian Lite News

Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has said that he has been disappointed with Rohit Sharma’s tenure as the captain of the Indian team, and said he expected more from the 36-year-old opener.

In addition, he also called for increased accountability from the coaching staff.

Rohit took over the captaincy reins in February last year after Virat Kohli’s time as the skipper came to an end. Although India has achieved positive results in bilateral home series, they have encountered difficulties in achieving success in major tournaments as India failed to qualify for the T20 World Cup final in Australia, lost the World Test Championship final last month.

Sunil Gavaskar

“I expected more from him (Rohit). In India it is different, but when you do well overseas that is really the test. That is where he has been a little disappointing. Even in the T20 format, with all the experience of the IPL, hundreds of matches as captain, with a mix of best IPL players not being able to get to the finals has been disappointing,” Gavaskar told The Indian Express.

The former Indian skipper also expressed his desire to ascertain whether the team management conducted a thorough review of India’s losses. While specifically addressing India’s defeat to Australia in the WTC final last month, he emphasised that coach Rahu Dravid and captain Rohit should have been held accountable to explain the decisions they made during the match.

“They should be asking questions, ‘Why did you field first?’ Okay, it was explained at the toss that it was overcast and all. The question after that should be, ‘You didn’t know about Travis Head’s weakness against the short ball?’ Why was the bouncer employed only when he had scored 80 runs. You know, the moment Head came in to bat, in the commentary box, we had Ricky Ponting saying, ‘Bounce him, bounce him.’ Everyone knew about it but we didn’t try,” he said.

Team India is set to kick off their 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle with a two-match Test series against West Indies, starting from July 12.

The series will be followed by three ODIs and five T20Is.

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