It’s not easy being India’s captain, especially with a home World Cup impending and a 10-year ICC trophy drought to end. Rohit Sharma’s easygoing demeanor and disposition may be the ideal tools for a commander who must carry this burden of expectation and rally a group of men around a common goal.
Rohit’s responsibilities do not only include leadership. As one of the most accomplished batters on the team, Rohit has a crucial role in establishing the cadence at the top of India’s batting order. Additionally, he has a high personal standard to reach and, if possible, surpass. In the previous ODI World Cup four years ago, Rohit scored an unprecedented five centuries for a total of 648 runs at an average of 81.00. The 36-year-old looks to this performance to remind himself of all the finest practices.
“For me, it is important how I keep myself relaxed and not worry about external factors that play a role, whether positively or not negatively. I want to shut out everything,” Rohit told CricAdvisor in an interview.
“I want to get into the phase I was in before the 2019 World Cup. I was in great frame of mind and prepared really well for the tournament. I was in good shape, good mindset. I want to bring that back and I have time to do that. Trying to recollect what were the right things that I was doing before the 2019 World Cup as a cricketer and as a person. I want to revisit that thought-process of mine personally,” he added.
Rohit’s life has changed drastically since that tournament in the United Kingdom. A seemingly condemned Test career was given a second chance, and shortly thereafter, he was elevated to captain of the Indian team across all three formats. The outcomes and outcomes of championships have altered participants. Rohit insisted that this was not the case. He added that he was not considering what a World Cup victory, in addition to all of his IPL victories, might do to his captaincy legacy.
“A person can’t change overnight with his success or failures,” he said. “I don’t think one result or one championship can change me as a person. I have not changed as a person in the last 16 years and I don’t think anything needs to change on that front. The focus will be on how I can achieve my goals in the next two months, for me and my team. A person can’t change in a period of one or two months.
“I am not the person who thinks about what kind of legacy I will leave behind. My legacy will be for people to judge and talk about. Not for me to say. I am not a firm believer in numbers. You should be happy and enjoy the time you have in-front of you, and try to live in that kind of moment. I am thinking about what gives me happiness. For me, it’s all about creating memories and creating a good rapport with my teammates. Be happy in whatever you get and whatever you have,” he philosophied.
In the next two months, he will be faced with the unenviable challenge of reducing the Asia Cup roster from 18 to 15 athletes. At least three athletes must be informed that they will not be participating in the World Cup on native soil. Rohit remembers being on the receiving end of this conversation when he was omitted from the 2011 World Cup squad, so he will be able to empathize.
“While picking the best combination, there will be guys who will miss out for various reasons and Rahul bhai and I have tried our best to explain to the players why they are not in the squad. We have tried to communicate with the players after every selection and playing XI that has been announced. We talk to them face to face, one-on-one why they have not been picked,” Rohit said.
“Me, coaches, and selectors, take into account all factors like opposition, surfaces, our strengths, their weaknesses, and then reach a common ground. There is every chance that we will not be perfect always. At the end of the day, few individuals make decisions, and we are bound to make mistakes as humans. We won’t always be right. It’s not like, I don’t like this person, so I am dropping him. Captaincy is not based on personal likes and dislikes. If anyone misses out, there is a reason for it. If you are the unlucky one, we can do nothing.
“Sometimes, I try to put myself in their shoes. When I wasn’t picked in 2011, it was such a heart-breaking moment for me and I felt what’s left after being dropped from a World Cup squad? I was sad and sitting in my room and didn’t know what to do next. I remember Yuvi calling me to his room and taking me out for dinner.
“He explained to me how it feels when you are left out. He told me, ‘The best thing is that you have so many years in-front of you. As we play in the World Cup, you take this chance to work hard on your game, skills and make a comeback. There is no way that you won’t play for India or not get a chance to play in the World Cup.
“I went back to the drawing board, worked hard and immediately after the World Cup, I made a comeback and it has been good since then. Since this is me, who has gone through this emotion, no one can tell me that “easier said than done. I have faced exclusion in a World Cup, and I know how it exactly feels.”
