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Speaking during the captains’ media interaction ahead of the T20 World Cup, Rohit gave an update on Shami, who was included in the squad despite not having played a competitive match since July.
“Shami had COVID two to three weeks ago. He was then called to the NCA, he has been working hard for the last 10 days and he is in Brisbane. He will train with us tomorrow,” Rohit said.
“Whatever we’ve heard about his recovery is positive. He bowled three to four sessions at full intensity. We’ve put a lot of effort into player management over the last 12 months, but injuries happen. If you see, whoever in the team, he has games under his belt.”
Bumrah was ruled out of the tournament due to a back injury, which left a big hole in the bowling department. While the batting has come a long way in the last one year, bowling remains the team’s weak link.
“Bumrah is a quality bowler. We spoke to many specialists about his (back) injury but the response was not very positive. World Cup is important but his career is more important, he is only 27-28. We could not haven’t. dared to play him here, that’s what the specialists have also said. We will miss him,” Rohit said.
Injuries are unfortunate but inevitable and this is one of the main reasons why India have focused on building a bigger squad of players over the past 12 months, the captain said.
Be it in batting or bowling, India have given plenty of opportunities to youngsters after their early exit from the World Cup 12 months ago, apart from drastically changing their style of play.
“Injuries are part of the sport. If you play so many games, injuries will happen. Our focus in the last one year has been to increase our bench strength. You should have seen that we played new guys when there was an opportunity,” he said.
Rohit said the team should make the best use of available resources rather than thinking about the injured.
“There’s no point in being disappointed about it. What needs to be done is the most important thing. It was a deliberate effort to come here (Australia) early, we’ve played two practice games and two more to go.
“We will be fully prepared before the first match (against Pakistan on October 23). There are no last-minute decisions to be taken. All the players involved have been informed in advance,” he said, referring to the India ‘s eleven for the big game.
He also has high expectations from Suryakumar Yadav in this tournament. Suryakumar has been India’s number one T20 batsman for the past 12 months.
“He is in good form, hope he continues that way in the middle order. He is a very confident and fearless player and uses his skills very well,” Rohit said.
‘We understand the importance of Indo-Pak competition’
The most anticipated World Cup match is the India-Pakistan match at the MCG on October 23.
While players from both the teams share a cordial relationship with each other and have seemed quite relaxed lately ahead of the big game, the fans on both sides of the border contribute a lot in building hype around the game.
Both Rohit and his Pakistani counterpart Babar Azam also looked extremely relaxed after the captains’ media interaction here. It was no surprise that out of the 16 captains, the most questions were reserved for Rohit and Babar.
They were also asked what they usually talk about when they meet during tournaments.
“We don’t even talk about cricket,” Babar revealed.
“Rohit bhai is older than me. I try to learn about the game from him. He has achieved a lot and I try to pick from him what I can,” said the humble Pakistan captain.
With his response, Rohit lightened the mood in the hall.
“Babar is absolutely right. We understand the importance of the game, but there is no point in talking about it and creating that pressure in yourself. Whenever we meet, we ask about each other’s families. I have met his teammates.
“Even our ex-players told us what they talk about. It’s usually about ‘how their families are, how their life is, what new car they’ve bought or are going to buy’. That’s mainly it,” says Rohit and draw a smile. of Babar.
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