Kolkata: ‘Experiment’ is the buzz word in any global tournament year. However, Indian white ball captain Rohit Sharma finds it a tad ‘over-rated’. Rohit Sharma does not want the juniors in the team to ‘feel insecure’ due to the ‘experiment’ word.
The T20 World Cup in Australia is scheduled later this year, Rohit knows that some of the slots, like pace and spin bowling all-rounders still need to be filled. However, he wants youngsters to get adequate chances.
“The word ‘experiment’ is a little overrated in my term. We are trying to fill gaps in our squad. So whatever it takes we will try and do,” Rohit said during a virtual media interaction on the eve of the opening T20 against the West Indies.
Rohit was asked whether he is going to experiment in the lead up to the World T20. The skipper however, answered in negative.
“Not necessarily experiment, because all these guys are very young, not played a lot of cricket. We need to give them that assurance that game time, once we have that then we can try out. Till then we need to fill those gaps. Whatever it takes, we will do that,” the team leader said.
India have a packed white ball calendar in the build up to the T20 World Cup in exactly eight months’ time. They next face Sri Lanka in three T20Is which will be followed by a Test series.
“The idea is to identify the players who are going to play the World Cup and give them the game time. There are a lot of players who are injured. Come the World Cup, we don’t know who’s going to be fit and who’s not. We just want to give the other guys the chance and be ready for that. We have a very packed schedule and injuries are bound to happen,” Rohit pointed out. “So it’s important that we give the guys who are going to fill those roles enough game time as well,” the skipper added.
Can Hardik play as pure batter?
There were question marks over Hardik Pandya’s bowling fitness in the last T20 World Cup. He has been out of International cricket since then recovering from his recurring back injury.
But skipper Rohit said that the door is still open for Pandya. “Door is open for everyone. It’s too early to make a decision on who will play in the World Cup. We have to make sure we have the right combination,” Rohit said.
Since Pandya’s injury, India have tried out many options to find a replacement for the all-rounder. The the likes of Venkatesh Iyer, and Shardul Thakur have been tried. However, none has been able to leave a Pandya-like impression.
Rohit was asked whether they’re looking at bringing in Pandya as a pure batter. He said they have not had any discussion on the all-rounder as yet.
“Pandya is a very important player. He brings three skills to the table. We have not discussed on him as yet, whether he can play as a pure batter or not. From the last World Cup, we have struggled with a lot of injuries so players are missing out,” Rohit said.
“The most important thing is that everyone is available and then we will take the next step. The important thing is that all players are available,” he added.
Backing Kul-Cha
The wrist spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal – ‘KKul-Cha’ – are back in the reckoning, even though the both are yet to play together. Chahal made a big impression in the first two ODIs in Ahmedabad taking five wickets, while left-arm chinaman Kuldeep bagged two wickets in the final ODI.
The Indian skipper also gave a similar assurance to give the duo enough game time to prove themselves again.
“Kuldeep and Chahal have been great assets for us in the past. They will continue to be. Without a doubt, they are the wicket-taking options in the middle, powerplay and whenever the captain expects them to flight the ball and take wickets,” Rohit pointed out.
‘Feeling fit and fine’
Rohitwho missed the Test and ODI series in South Africa due to a hamstring injury. He made his comeback as a full-time captain in a one-sided 3-0 sweep against the West Indies in the ODI leg in Ahmedabad.
“I’m feeling absolutely fine at the moment. Personally, I’m very happy to be back playing for India. I was going through a lot of stuff in the last two months to understand my body and what we need to do on the field. There are some specific drills that I’ve to follow to ensure that there are no injury concerns for the future,” Rohit signed off.