World Cup wins don’t come on platter, India ‘desperate’ to win it: Rohit Sharma

Skipper Rohit Sharma on Thursday mentioned India is “desperate” to interrupt its ICC trophy drought within the upcoming World Cup and is armed with “inner “confidence” and “self-belief” to win the title.

India has gone with no trophy in ICC occasions for a decade now, with its final main win coming within the Champions Trophy 2013, two years after its World Cup triumph at house.

“Honestly, I have never won a (50 overs) World Cup, it’s a dream to win a World Cup and to be here fighting for it, nothing makes me happier than that,” Rohit informed the media right here on the sidelines of an occasion.

“You don’t get World Cups on a platter, you have to really work hard and that is what we have been doing all these years, from 2011 till now we all are fighting for it,” the India captain mentioned.

“Everyone is desperate to go and win, because we know we have a good team. We are all good players, that inner confidence and self-belief is there that they can do it. It’s not happened doesn’t mean that we take it lightly. When we lost the 2022 World Cup, I said we will keep fighting for the next World Cup,” he added.

“The World Test Championship (WTC) was coming and I said we will keep fighting for it, no matter what. Kabhi na kabhi to milega (we will win it at some point),” he mentioned.

Rohit mentioned whereas he’s tasked to steer the workforce, his main job is to do properly as a batter.

“I need to do first as a batter. Captaincy is secondary. My role in the team is more as a batter. Obviously to captain well as well, (but) first of all, I have to score big runs and win games for the team.”

READ | No. 4 slot has been a problem for India for a very long time: Rohit Sharma

With key males akin to KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer unavailable within the lead-up to the World Cup, Rohit mentioned he’s frightened of accidents however harassed on the significance of resting the gamers.

“Last year also we did the same thing — the T20 World Cup was there, so we didn’t play one-day cricket. Now also we are doing the same, the ODI World Cup is there, so we are not playing T20s,” he mentioned.

“You can’t play everything and be ready for the World Cup. We decided this two years ago. (Ravindra) Jadeja is also not playing T20, you did not ask about him? I understand about the focus (on himself and Virat). But Jadeja is also not playing,” Rohit mentioned in reply to a question about him and Kohli lacking India’s latest T20 assignments.

“It is a World Cup year; we want to keep everyone fresh; already we had so many injuries in the team that I am scared of injuries now,” he continued.

Rohit revealed that the workforce administration had a dialogue with the BCCI on the side of managing the workload of gamers.

“We had a discussion with the BCCI also that we need to look after the players well. Whenever we have an opportunity to rest players, we will rest players and rotate them. We don’t want anyone to miss the key events. A couple of our key players missed some big events in the last two years and we don’t want that,” he mentioned.

Suryakumar working laborious on ODI sport

While Rohit backed Suryakumar Yadav to seek out his type in ODIs, he additionally mentioned India must see for a way lengthy it should maintain backing the world No. 1 T20I batter, who has now been moved to No. 6.

“He is really working hard, and he is talking to a lot of guys who have played a lot of ODI cricket as to what kind of attitude and mindset (to have)… like that,” Rohit mentioned.

“It is important to give a batter like him the cushion of extra games so that he finds that groove and gets that confidence. The way he started the IPL (Indian Premier League) this year, in the first four to five games he did not have too many runs. But look what he did after that,” Rohit mentioned.

“For a player like him, it is our job to create such a situation and scenario: ‘It’s okay, if you don’t do well in two to three games we are okay, but when you come off, we know that you will win games straightaway’.

“That is what he did in the third T20I, the batters at the top got out and for Surya to go and bat like that… it is a different format. But we will also have to see how long we can stretch this (having Suryakumar at No. 4),” Rohit mentioned.

Difficult to have all gamers with very important expertise

Citing Varun Chakravarthy’s instance from the 2021 T20 World Cup, Rohit mentioned it’s doable to have a participant with much less expertise to make it into the aspect however emphasised on having the fitting stability.

“We keep talking about preparation. Yes, we’ve to be prepared, but at the same time, there are a lot of other factors like ‘who are the right guys? How we can fit in guys in the squad? What are the challenges that we’re going to face during the World Cup? Where’s the hole in our team, whether it’s batting or bowling?’,” Rohit mentioned.

“We’ve to make all our departments strong, and for that, we need to give chances to our players. If you don’t play them, you won’t know (about their worth). Our focus has always been on that. Even last year, before the T20 World Cup, we were focusing on those kinds of things.”

The India captain mentioned if the workforce feels a participant can do a particular job for them, he may discover a place within the XI.

“There will be guys who you think are talented, and can do the job, they can straightaway come in. Like we thought Varun Chakravarthy, for the 2021 T20 World Cup. I don’t think he played any international cricket before that. But we genuinely thought he was ready for that stage,” he mentioned.

Rohit mentioned there is usually a few exceptions within the type of gamers with minimal expertise.

“It’s not like we’ve to compulsorily give 15 games to a player, there can be exceptions to this. But, you can’t do it with everyone. You need experience. You need the guys who can go and handle that pressure in the middle. However, two to three guys can be like that (without experience),” he mentioned.

Tilak Varma is ‘quite mature’ for his age

With younger left-handed batter Tilak Varma being touted for a spot within the World Cup squad given his batting prowess, Rohit refused to provide away something apart from praising him.

“He looks very promising. I have seen him for two years now, he has got the hunger, and that is the most important thing,” Rohit mentioned.

“In him I can see, for the age that he is of, he is quite matured. He knows his batting so well. When I speak with him I understand that the boy knows his batting – where he has to hit, what he has to do in that period. That is all that I will say about him, I do not know about the World Cup and all, but definitely the guy is talented and he showed it in these few games that he has played for India,” he added.