Team India captain Rohit Sharma expressed his desire to win the ODI World Cup trophy as he is all set to lead the Indian team in the marquee event in October-November later this year. Rohit, who was not part of the 2011 ODI World Cup-winning squad, had a stellar show with the bat in the 2019 event where he scored five centuries but it wasn’t enough for him to help India lift the trophy.
The Men in Blue have not won an ICC trophy in the last decade with the Champions Trophy 2013 being their last notable triumph at the world level.
The Indian captain said that fighting for another World Cup trophy makes him quite happy.
“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 told the media on the sidelines of an event.
The swashbuckling opener asserted that nobody is going to give World Cup on a platter and said that the players are desperate to win the trophy.
“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 said.
“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 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 expressed.
Rohit said while he is tasked to lead the team, his primary job is to do well 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.”
Citing Varun Chakravarthy’s example from the 2021 T20 World Cup, Rohit said it is possible to have a player with less experience to make it into the side but emphasised on having the right balance.
“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 said.
“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 said if the team feels a player can do a specific job for them, he might find a place in the XI.
“There will be guys whom 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 said.
The Indian skipper admitted that a team needs experience in the mega events but also asserted that there can be a few exceptions too with a couple of young stars.
“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, 2-3 guys can be like that (without experience),” he said.
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