Rohit Sharma believes in giving the middle-order batsmen freedom to play fearlessly

India put up a string of strong performances in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2018. What caught the eye most is the marked improvement in the middle-order’s performance, something India had been vying to achieve in the last few tours. Rohit Sharma recently stressed the importance of giving the middle-order batsmen enough freedom to play a fearless brand of cricket.

With the World Cup just around the corner, the Indian team management will be looking to seal a few spots in the line-up as soon as possible. It is perhaps with this agenda on mind that consecutive chances were given to the likes of Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik and Ambati Rayudu in the Asia Cup to test the waters. India eventually won the title by winning the final against Bangladesh by three wickets.

Rohit backs the middle-order

As reported by ESPNCricinfo, Rohit Sharma emphasized on the need for the middle-order batsmen to feel at home and feel in command of how they’re performing for the team. “The guys who were here had the ability to win matches for the team. They’ve won matches for their state or IPL teams. No one took extra pressure because some players weren’t available. We want to create an environment where boys come in, play carefree, and not think that this is an international match and we need to change our game,” said Sharma.

Speaking on the role of the management in shaping the competency of players, the stand-in captain for the Asia Cup commented, “As a management, it is our duty to give the players that freedom to go play like they play at the club or domestic level. At the start of the tournament, we discussed this and gave them a clear message: ‘treat this like you’re playing for your domestic team, nothing to change.’ It was very important to give them this message, to ensure there’s no insecurity within.”

While Rayudu played as an opener as well as at No.3, scoring a half-century apiece at both positions, Karthik accumulated 146 runs in five innings at No. 4. Jadhav, on the other hand, was handy with the ball in the middle-overs and showed remarkable dedication in the finals where he remained unbeaten at a personal score of 23 runs, in spite of suffering from a hamstring injury.

On World Cup 2019

For the Indian team, the ultimate goal seems to be the World Cup 2019. Commenting on their ongoing process of preparation, the 31-year-old said, “I think we pretty much have clarity. Those at No. 4 and No. 6 need to get more games as the World Cup comes closer. It’s too early to judge or say they’ve sealed the spot. I shouldn’t be saying that because right now is not the time. The next few tournaments that we’re going to play will probably be ideal for us to judge as a management and see where they stand.”

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