Will not be difficult to adapt in Champions Trophy after IPL, says Rohit Sharma

Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma was a mighty pleased man after his troops beat the Rising Pune Supergiant in the finals of the 2017 edition of the IPL. The chips were down for the MI camp with only 129 runs to defend. It was a spectacular effort from the bowlers that helped Mumbai Indians register a one-run win in the thrilling contest. The skipper, needless to say, lauded the efforts of his team.

Now, with the tournament done and dusted, the action moves to England for another mega event. This time it will in the national colors though. Team India will be participating in the Champions Trophy and defend the title. Amidst this, many believe that switching gears from IPL to the 50 overs format will be a tough deal. However, Rohit Sharma seemed to differ on this note.

“IPL is different from international cricket. I spoke before the start of IPL that to give balance to the team I will bat lower down. I don’t know why people compare the two (situations). It has happened for 10 years – players going on to play Test cricket or 50-over games after IPL. I don’t think it’s going to be difficult to adapt in this age. All it needs is to develop the mindset,” quoted Rohit Sharma as per the quotes in Times of India.

Speaking further on his personal front, Rohit remarked the finals against RPS as one of the best that he has ever been a part of. He also noted that the captaincy role brings out the best out of him. He revealed that he kept pushing and motivating the troops despite the odds being against them in the crucial match. He added that he loves to inspire the team from the front.

“I can’t single out any one of these. Last night’s T20 game was one of the best I had played. I am very happy. No team has won the IPL thrice before. It’s a very big achievement and we have to take this confidence forward. It (captaincy) does help me a lot. Last year, we had a tough time and could not qualify for the play-offs, but we knew we had the players to do well this year and they delivered. The attitude of the players remained the same whether we won or lost. As captain I love to inspire teams as much as I can,” quoted the MI skipper.

Player retentions

There are speculations that the next season of the IPL will have open auctions. Also, there might be a case when the teams will not get a chance to retain players. Rohit Sharma, however, wishes to play for the very same franchise of Mumbai next year as well.

“I would love to play for my state franchise. I have played all my cricket in Mumbai and lived here all my life. We would also be happy to retain the whole squad,” he quipped.

Word on Pandya brothers

Lastly, Rohit had a special mention for Pandya brothers who have been sensational this season for the MI colors. He pointed out that both players are very expressive and have been showing a lot of maturity in the field. He hailed Krunal Pandya as a team India candidate.

“They are very expressive players who love to express themselves on the field. Krunal has batted at different positions for us and has shown a lot of maturity. He’s a brilliant (left arm slow) bowler. He’s a great prospect for Indian cricket,” quoted Rohit Sharma.