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Team India are set to face the West Indies cricket team at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday (February 6), in the first ODI of the three-match series as Rohit Sharma prepares for his first assignment after being named as a permanent captain of the ODI team.
Hhere are 10 important takeaways from Rohit's press conference.
Test Captaincy
Rohit avoided speaking on the Test captaincy but put the ball in the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) court. He vowed to focus on the team's performance.
Opener's slot
Rohit has confirmed that Ishan Kishan will be opening in absence of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shikhar Dhawan as both the batsmen were tested positive for the Covid-19 virus. The opportunity remains for Kishan to grab it as a backup option.
On finisher's role
According to the 34-year-old, the opportunity is open for someone to grab the role of the finisher with MS Dhoni no longer serving the team and Hardik Pandya not available. Rohit further suggested that the team need more finishers in the current squad.
Message for U-19 India team
Rohit feels that the India U-19 team put in a great effort to reach the final, as they take on England in the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup. Rohit thinks that the team need better planning in International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments, while a team play multiple nations in a short period of time.
On Virat Kohli
Rohit has suggested that Virat Kohli knows what is needed from him and he will be an important part of the team in the West Indies series. Kohli will play his first series under the captaincy of Rohit. It is important to mention that Rohit had missed the South Africa series due to injury.
On Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal
Indian team struggled to pick up wickets in the middle overs in the South Africa tour, so Rohit was determined to keep Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav in the pipeline. Indian team were unable to put South African batters in trouble in the middle overs, so Chahal and Kuldeep could be two great weapons against West Indies.
Change in ODI template
Rohit suggested that the team do not need to change much, and suggested that the mindset should not be different from that of KL Rahul.
Open to having different approaches
Rohit urged the Indian team to focus on the performances while also highlighting that he is open to having different approaches according to the need of the situation. He also mentioned that there is a Plan B in team's preparation but vowed to use it only when it is needed.
