Sports: Rohit Sharma decisively refuted any notions of his departure from the One Day International format following India’s victory in the ICC Champions Trophy.
Addressing the press after the final against New Zealand, where his crucial 76 runs secured a four-wicket win, Sharma clarified, “I am not going to retire from this (ODI) format. Going forward please don’t spread rumours.” The captain’s statement came after speculation about his future and leadership intensified since the Australian tour.
“No future plans. Jo ho raha hain, woh chalta jayega (Whatever is happening will keep continuing),” Sharma stated, dismissing further questions about his career trajectory. He elaborated on his aggressive batting strategy during the powerplay, explaining, “I haven’t done anything different today as I have been doing in the last 3-4 matches. I know how important it is to make runs in Power Play because we have seen that after 10 overs, it becomes very difficult when the field spreads and spinners come.” He attributed his quick start to the nature of the Dubai pitch, emphasizing the need to capitalize on the initial overs.
“You get a lot of happiness when you win a match and you make a contribution in it, it feels even better. I made a lot of contributions in the 2019 World Cup, but we did not win. So, there was no fun in it. Even if you make a sudden run and win the match, you get more satisfaction and happiness. So, I think it was very important for me to do something and contribute and keep the team in a winning position,” Sharma expressed, highlighting the satisfaction of contributing to a winning cause.
Regarding KL Rahul’s shift to the No. 6 position, Sharma praised his composure and contributions, saying, “It is very important for everyone to contribute in their own way. When we discussed KL’s batting position, we discussed quite deeply about how calm he is when he is batting. The pressure doesn’t get to him.” He noted that Rahul’s calmness was crucial in the middle order, adding, “KL has been doing a lot of challenging work for the team for so many years now. I am very happy with how he managed to pull through this tournament and bat it in the pressure situation — both in the semifinals and this game as well.”
Sharma also lauded Shreyas Iyer’s pivotal role at No. 4, acknowledging his consistent performances and crucial partnerships. “He is very, very important in that middle phase for us. The partnerships with all the batters who were batting with him…That semifinal against Australia, his alliance with Virat was very important. Even against Pakistan and New Zealand, the league game that we played was important. Even today, when I got out, our team’s third wicket had fallen. And, at that time, we needed a partnership of 50 to 70 runs.Shreyas did that with Axar. So, when there are such performances, when you understand the conditions, and adapt to the conditions it feels good,” he said.
Concluding the press conference, Rohit dedicated the Champions Trophy victory to the nation, stating, “To the whole country because I know that our country has been so much behind us. When you win the finals of any tournament, and especially in India, we know that wherever we play, we get good support. So, winning this trophy makes the whole team so happy that we did it for our country.”