Thursday, November 2, 2023 promises to be a momentous date in Rohit Sharma’s career. The India captain will lead the Men in Blue for the first time in a World Cup match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, the iconic venue where Rohit not only grew up playing most of his cricket but also a pitch steeped in history.
It was at this stadium 12 years ago that India defeated Sri Lanka in the final to win the 2011 World Cup, a team that Rohit was missing from. Fast forward to today and under Rohit, India is just one win away from sealing a semi-final berth in the 2023 World Cup, and if they can get another win over Sri Lanka – their seventh in a row in the tournament – it will mark another huge step in Rohit’s little story about redemption.
But as flawless as India has been in this World Cup, one bad game can end the dream of 1.5 billion people. India has been the most consistent team in ICC tournaments but has not won ICC silverware for 10 years. They ended their five-year wait to win a multi-nation tournament by winning the Asia Cup last month, but the big one still eludes them. Captain Rohit was welcomed and mocked at the same time. When India failed to reach the finals of last year’s Asia Cup despite being favorites, or were knocked out by England in the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, fingers were pointed at Rohit, who was without key players such as Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja due to injuries due to unforeseen circumstances. But now that they are back and operating at full tilt, there is no excuse and Rohit knows it.
“It’s not my thought process (that India is enjoying a dream run), it’s a team thought process that the guys follow. When things look good, everything looks good, everything works well. I know how it all works. I’m quite aware of one game here and there, and suddenly I know I will be a bad captain. I know how it works. I try and do what is necessary from the team’s point of view and I am sure of that,” the India skipper told the forward. World Cup match against Sri Lanka.
India did not make a mistake in the World Cup. Regardless of whether they bowl or bat first, the result is the same: a win. But there is an element called the law of averages that is extremely ugly and generally hits teams at least once in a major tournament. Every team has seen it so far, apart from India, but given the red-hot form they are in, even LOA might be afraid to come in between their winning march towards the cup. With three matches in the group – against Sri Lanka, South Africa, and the Netherlands – whether India will reach the semi-finals undefeated, Rohit cannot say for sure, but he can guarantee that the team will approach the remaining matches in the same way. positive intention as in the previous six.
“Our aim is not to go unbeaten but to play well in every match”: Rohit
“No, we’re not thinking about going that far, honestly. We just want to win every game. I’ve said so many times that every game we play is important for us. How we do in it, what about the things we they didn’t do in the last game, how can we do in this game? That’s what we focus on. And then we move our vehicle forward. It won’t be right for us to think about the future that we have to go undefeated and stay undefeated. I don’t think that’s the goal. The goal is to play every match and play it well,” added Rohit.
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