Dubai, Mar 10 (PTI) He is not retiring from ODI cricket anytime soon but Rohit Sharma also doesn’t want to look too far ahead and commit to playing the 2027 World Cup, the only among three white-ball ICC silverware missing from his cabinet.
Rohit, who enthralled one and all with a match-winning 76 against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final here on Sunday, brushed aside speculations about his retirement and said one “shouldn’t spread rumours.” However, while speaking to ‘JioHotstar’, the Indian skipper was non-committal on playing the next big ICC 50-over tournament, in South Africa “Right now, I am taking things as they come. It wouldn’t be fair for me to think too far ahead. At this moment, my focus is on playing well and maintaining the right mindset. I don’t want to draw any lines and say whether I will or won’t play in the 2027 World Cup. There’s no point in making such statements right now,” Rohit said after the final.
“Realistically, I have always taken my career one step at a time. I don’t like thinking too far into the future, and I haven’t done so in the past either. For now, I am enjoying my cricket and the time I spend with this team. I hope my teammates enjoy my presence as well. That’s all that matters at this point.” Talking about his lasting legacy, Rohit said he has always wanted to build an Indian team that is never taken lightly by the opposition.
“I don’t want to dictate how other teams should perceive us. The only thing I want is for them to never take us lightly. Even if we are five wickets down, we have the ability to fight back and turn the game around.
“Until the last ball of the match is bowled, our opponents should always feel the pressure of playing against us. Similarly, when we bowl, this team never gives up. That is the kind of legacy we want to create and leave behind.” He also said that after Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the Champions Trophy, his main goal was to get a fully-fit Mohammed Shami, who has always been phenomenal at ICC events.
“We already had a sense that his (Bumrah) recovery might not be in time for the Champions Trophy. Given the nature of his injury and the fact that he is a fast bowler with a long career ahead, we had to be cautious.” After it became clear that Shami was available for the England white-ball series, Rohit heaved a sigh of relief.
“It was always going to be a challenge, but having Mohammed Shami in the team was crucial. We needed to ensure he was at peak fitness because his record in ICC tournaments is exceptional.
“Looking back at past World Cups, Shami has consistently delivered outstanding performances in ICC events.
“So, when he played those two matches against England, we gained confidence that even in Bumrah’s absence, we had a strong alternative,” he said. PTI KHS KHS AH AH
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