T20 World Cup 2022: “Definitely a challenge for us to come out on top in ICC tournaments” - Rohit Sharma
Team India skipper Rohit Sharma has admitted that doing well in ICC tournaments is a challenge for them as their record over the last decade has not been impressive. He, however, asserted that the ongoing T20 World Cup in Australia is an opportunity for the Men in Blue to change things around.
India haven’t won an ICC trophy since MS Dhoni led the side to victory during the 2013 Champions Trophy in England. Speaking of World Cups, they last won the T20 championship in 2007 (their only title in the competition) and the ODI trophy in 2011.
India will begin their T20 World Cup 2022 campaign by taking on Pakistan in Melbourne on Sunday, October 23. Addressing a press conference ahead of the match, Rohit agreed that Team India have disappointed in the ICC events, saying:
"I will not want say (there is) pressure, but it is definitely a challenge for us to come out on top in ICC tournaments.
"Yes, there has been not the performance what we would like to (have had) in ICC tournaments, especially in big games, but I believe the opportunity always comes and we have the opportunity now to come here and do well. So, I think we will have to focus on certain things to get that right."
Rohit added:
"Yes, it is a challenge to not win ICC trophy for nine years, if I am not wrong. The last one we won was in 2013. So yeah, it has been a challenge with a team like us. Obviously, there are a lot of expectations; we certainly little disappointed with that. This tournament gives us that chance to change it and do well.
"We certainly know we have to play our best cricket to do well here. We’ll probably have to take one game at a time, and then move on from there and think about the next one.”
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While India will face Pakistan in their opening T20 World Cup match, there is a lot of talk about them not wanting to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup next year. Asked for his take on the same, Rohit said while responding to a Sportskeeda query:
“My take is let’s focus on the World Cup because this is important for us. We are not worried about what is going to happen later. There is no point thinking about it. BCCI will make the decisions on that. We are focused on how we need to be very well prepared (for the World Cup).”
India last visited Pakistan during the 2008 Asia Cup. Their last bilateral series in the country was in 2005-06.
“When Bumrah got injured, we wanted someone experienced” - Rohit Sharma on Shami's selection
After Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the T20 World Cup due to a back injury, the BCCI named Mohammed Shami as his replacement.
The move came despite the fact that Shami has not played a T20I for India since the World Cup last year and even missed the home series against Australia and South Africa due to COVID. Explaining the decision to pick Shami, Rohit said:
“The guy has got so much experience. (He has) been playing for so many years for India and has played World Cups as well before. We all know the quality that he has. When Bumrah got injured, we always wanted to have someone experienced in the line-up. Shami was the right choice for us.
"Looking at what has happened with him in the last 20-25 days, obviously he got COVID back home and had to miss the home series leading up to the World Cup. The kind of experience that he has, we know that he will not be short of match practice."
On Shami bowling the last over in the warm-up match against Australia, Rohit revealed:
“That was always the plan. We know he is very good with the new ball, so we wanted to give him the challenge of bowling at the death. Most importantly, his body was something we had to look at. We wanted to give him full four overs in the next warm-up game, but unfortunately the match was washed out.”
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Asserting that the right-arm pacer is very well prepared, Rohit concluded:
“He’s been training with the team for a while now. He’s very much ready. It's just about going out and executing now what Shami is known for.”
Shami claimed three wickets in the last over of the practice match against Australia, which India won by six runs.