Rohit Sharma, the Indian skipper, has opened up on the recent fuss about the ODI format. Many fans these days consider ODI cricket to be boring. And former cricketers like Wasim Akram have backed the format to be scrapped. Amidst all the opinions and chaos, the Indian skipper has gone out of the way to give a huge nod to the format.
Sharma admitted that he owes his fame to One Day cricket. While attending a collection launch organized by Adidas, the opener broke his silence on the fuss about the 50-over format. The Mumbai player highlighted the importance of all three formats. He disagreed that the ODI format is dying and added that he loves the format. Sharma did not shy away from admitting that he earned fame through the 50-over format.
“Mera naam hi One-day cricket se bana hai (I owe my fame to One-Day cricket). Sab bekar ki baatein hai (all this talk about ODIs being outdated is futile). People were earlier talking (similarly) about Test cricket. For me, cricket is important – whatever be the format. I would never say that ODI is getting finished or T20 is getting finished or Tests are nearing an end,” the skipper said. “So these talks are nonsense,’ he said.
Rohit Sharma expressed his desire for the inclusion of one more format in the game. He went on to express the elation he feels when he plays ODI cricket. The 35-year-old shared his experience of playing in the midst of a jam-packed stadium.
“I wish there is another format as well, because for me, playing the game is most important. Since childhood, we dreamt of playing the game for India and in my mind. Whenever we play ODIs, stadiums are full, the excitement remains high. It’s an individual choice as to which format to play or not, but for me, all three formats are important,” he added.
We have to keep the process going: Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma pointed out the importance of bringing in youngsters to the squad. He stressed that youngsters might get exposure at a very important stage. The Indian skipper sprinkled hints on Team India’s preparation for the Asia Cup 2022. The aggressive opener highlighted various factors that come into play in the United Arab Emirates.
He enlightened the masses about how he approached the game. And added that he seldom thinks about the opponent. Sharma added that the focus will be on the game than the opponent.
“My thought has always been that we will not focus on the opponent, but we will continue to play our game. We played against West Indies, England and in both cases, we did not think about who our opposition was, but we focused on things that we had to do as a team and what we had to achieve,” Sharma said.
“As a team, we are working on a few things ahead of the Asia Cup. We have to keep the process going,” he concluded.
