As the euphoria of India’s T20 World Cup triumph begins to fade, skipper Rohit Sharma has urged his team to shift focus to the future and the challenges that lie ahead.
Speaking ahead of the first One Day International (ODI) against Sri Lanka, Sharma pointed out the importance of moving on from past glories as the team embarks on a new chapter under head coach Gautam Gambhir.
With a fresh season of cricket underway, Sharma acknowledged the significance of the ongoing white-ball series against Sri Lanka as a crucial part of their journey, which includes major tournaments like the Champions Trophy scheduled for early next year.
“I had a good time off from cricket. It was a great feeling to come back home after winning the World Cup...what we experienced in Delhi and Mumbai. But yeah, now we have to move on; cricket moves on,” Rohit stated, reflecting on the celebratory moments following their World Cup victory.
Having announced his retirement from T20 internationals after the tournament, Sharma noted that while past achievements hold value, the team must embrace progress and continue to adapt.
“Whatever we have done in the past, that was good for that particular period of time, but time keeps moving forward, and we also need to keep moving forward,” he added.
Rohit drew parallels with the team’s mindset after last year’s disappointing exit from the ODI World Cup held in India. “That’s what happened after the 2023 World Cup.
There was a lot of disappointment, but we had to move on and look forward to this World Cup. Now that the T20 World Cup is over, we have to think about what lies ahead of us as a team.
There is plenty to look forward to, a big tournament coming up,” he explained.
With Gambhir now at the helm, Sharma anticipates a shift in approach and strategy, acknowledging that the new coach brings a wealth of experience from both international and franchise cricket.
“Gautam Gambhir has played a lot of cricket and he has been involved with franchise cricket also before. Obviously, it is going to be different from the previous support staff. Ravi Shastri was there before Rahul Dravid joined the team; every individual works differently,” Rohit noted.
The Indian captain expressed confidence in Gambhir’s vision for the team, having known him for a long time and shared the field during their playing careers.
“I know Gambhir for a very long time, and we have played a little bit of cricket together. He has a very clear mind and knows what he wants from the team,” Rohit said, emphasising their discussions surrounding the future blueprint for Indian cricket.
“Our chats have centred around what the team needs, what our shortcomings are, where we have done well, etc. It was a discussion on how to take the team forward,” Rohit elaborated, acknowledging the need for a balanced approach.
“But we don’t want to plan too far ahead. We are here for three games, and the idea is to take something back from these three games, learn how we want to play, and what we want to achieve in ODI cricket.”
Despite Gambhir’s reputation for intensity, Sharma highlighted the importance of maintaining a light atmosphere within the dressing room.
“Gauti bhai does a lot of fun things in the dressing room, cracks a lot of jokes. Otherwise, I don’t think we should get into his personal space like whether he laughs or not. Everybody has their own way,” he said.
While Rohit acknowledged that the pursuit of excellence may involve setbacks, he emphasized the standard of Indian cricket as paramount.
“At the end of the day, the standard of Indian cricket is more important. While doing that, if you lose a game, then it is absolutely fine. You are still trying to do something different, and you are not compromising on the standard,” he explained.
Rohit reiterated the team’s commitment to achieving success in the ODI series against Sri Lanka, maintaining that the intent and purpose must remain intact.
“We want to achieve something out of every series or game we play, but not at the cost of not showing intent or purpose. It is not a practice ground; it is an international game. We want to play good cricket and achieve something out of this series,” he concluded, firmly establishing the team’s goals as they navigate the road ahead.
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