"Mera naam hi One-day cricket se bana hai"- Rohit Sharma backs survival of ODI cricket
Indian captain Rohit Sharma has dismissed talks about ODI cricket being on the verge of extinction due to the rise of lucrative T20 leagues around the world. There has been a lot of talk about players choosing to quit ODI cricket and focus on other formats since Ben Stokes announced his retirement from one-day cricket.
New Zealand pacer Trent Boult's desire to spend more time with his family and opt out of New Zealand's central contracts also raised concerns about players choosing to play in the T20 leagues over international games.
However, while speaking at a launch event hosted by a popular brand, here's what Rohit Sharma had to say about why all three formats were important to him:
"Mera naam hi One-day cricket se bana hai (I owe my fame to One-Day cricket). Sab bekar ki baatein hai (all this talk about ODIs being outdated is futile).
"People were earlier talking (similarly) about Test cricket. For me, cricket is important - whatever be the format. I would never say that ODI is getting finished or T20 is getting finished or Tests are nearing an end."
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Rohit Sharma on whether Indian players will play in other T20 leagues
Rohit Sharma also claimed that the focus of the Indian players is on creating an opportunity for themselves to be a part of the Indian team for a long time by doing well in the IPL.
The 35-year-old gave an example of how the IPL has helped players like Rahul Tripathi, who might make his debut in the ODI series against Zimbabwe beginning on August 18. On this, the Indian captain stated:
"As of now, the situation of Indian cricket remains the same - we play the IPL, the international cricket. The guys are getting exposure and our aim is to create bench strength, so that's why in Zimbabwe, there are a lot of players who are touring for the first time - be it Shahbaz Ahmed, Rahul Tripathi - and it is a good exposure.
"They are really talented, they will grab the opportunity."
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Will international cricket stay relevant for the forseeable future with the rise of T20 leagues in UAE and South Africa? Let us know in the comments.