Rohit Sharma is leading Indian pack in ODI World Cup for the first time as skipper and will certainly look to make it a memorable one by breaking Team India's 10-year-long drought of ICC trophy. Rohit with his brigade locked horns with Australia at the Chepauk stadium in Chennai on Sunday, October 8. The moment Rohit stepped into the ground for the toss, he achieved a mighty achievement a against his name as he surpassed MS Dhoni to become only second oldest Indian captain to lead Men in Blue in World Cup. Rohit clinched this feat at the age of 36 years and 161 days while Dhoni achieved this at the age of 33 years and 262 days when he led India in the 2015 World Cup in Australia which was apparently his last ODI World Cup as a skipper.
Dhoni was 31 years old when the Men in Blue crashed out of the competition after getting defeated by Australia in the semi-final match.
Meanwhile, veteran Diana Edulji remains to be the oldest captain to lead India in the World Cup. She played her last World Cup in 1993 when she was aged 37 years. Earlier, she was made captain and went on to lead the Indian side at the debut appearance of the team at the 1978 Women’s World Cup.
Speaking more about Rohit, the Men in Blue recently won the Asia Cup under the leadership of Rohit as they remained the dominant side throughout the competition. With the World Cup being played in the home conditions, the Indian captain will be under immense pressure to repeat Dhoni’s antics of the 2011 World Cup.
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Notably, veteran cricketer Diana Edulji holds the distinction of being the oldest captain to guide India in the World Cup. Her final World Cup appearance was in 1993 when she was 37 years old. Previously, she had taken on the role of captain during India's inaugural presence in the 1978 Women's World Cup.
Turning our attention to Rohit, the Indian national team, fondly referred to as the Men in Blue, clinched the Asia Cup title under his captaincy, showcasing dominance throughout the tournament. Given that the upcoming World Cup is on home turf, Rohit faces heightened expectations, with fans hoping for a performance reminiscent of Dhoni's leadership in the 2011 World Cup.
Talking about India versus Australia's ODI World Cup opener, Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bat first at the MA Chidambaram stadium on Sunday.
India skipper Rohit Sharma, after losing the toss, said,"The conditions are there for the bowlers and the ball will turn as the game goes on, you need to understand what line and lengths to bowl and adjust accordingly. We played a lot of cricket before that, we played two good series before the warm up games, we have covered all bases. Unfortunately he (Shubman Gill) didn't recover in time, we waited till today morning and he couldn't recover. Ishan comes in to replace him, he will open the batting."
Meanwhile, Pat Cummins said," We'll bat first, looks like a good wicket. Sun is out, good opportunity to bat. We are in a good spot, we've played a lot over the last month. Travis Head isn't here, Abbott and Josh Inglis miss out."
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
Australia (Playing XI): David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Alex Carey(w), Glenn Maxwell, Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa
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