Captain Rohit Sharma said on Wednesday India Will definitely have an eye on T20 World cup in the upcoming series against England but they don’t want to take it as preparation and will try to win and tick all the boxes in every game.
After missing the rescheduled fifth Test against England in Birmingham due to Covid-19, the 35-year-old is now fit and fine to lead India in the T20I series against England, starting Thursday. After training for three consecutive days in Birmingham, Sharma contacted the rest of the group on Tuesday afternoon.
“Of course, we are definitely keeping an eye on the World Cup. I wouldn’t say it’s preparation. Every match matters to us for India. We want to come here and have the ability to tick every box that we have. Let’s try and make sure we get the job done as smoothly as possible,” Rohit said at a press conference on the eve of the first T20I.
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Rohit also said that the youngsters in the team deserve their chances after performing well in the IPL or for their state teams, adding that England is going to be a very challenging team for them.
“Of course, there are a lot of young players who are getting the opportunity to represent the country through the performances of their state teams, IPL teams. They deserve their opportunity,” he said.
“England is going to be a very challenging team for us, I’m pretty sure these guys are here for a while. They went to Ireland; they played some practice games here. Now we’re going to have this T20 series and then the ODI series. Eagerly waiting too.
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Asked if Umran Malik is in his plan for the T20 World Cup, the skipper said that he is definitely keeping an eye on him and would like to see what the young pacer has to offer.
“He [Umran Malik] We have a lot in our plans. It’s just about trying to make him understand what the team needs from him. Yes, there are times we want to try out certain ones and Umar is definitely one of those people. We are keeping a watch on the World Cup, we want to see what it has to offer for us,” said Rohit.
“He is definitely an exciting prospect, no doubt. We all saw it during the IPL, he can bowl fast. It’s just about giving him the role,” he said.
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