Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: Disney+Hotstar)
International Cricket Council, along with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), have announced the schedule for the upcoming ODI World Cup on Tuesday, June 27. Notably, India will be playing their first match against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, while the much-awaited game against Pakistan will be played at Narendra Modi Stadium on October 15.
Right after the announcement of the schedule, India skipper Rohit Sharma shared that the team is looking forward to preparing well for the mega tournament and aiming to give their best. Notably, the Men in Blue have failed to win a single ICC trophy in the last decade and, thus, are under a lot of pressure to get the job done this time around. However, Rohit is aware of the pressure as he believes it will be competitive, with all teams getting better day by day.
“It’s going to be a great experience playing in the World Cup at home. India won here 12 years ago, and I know fans nationwide can’t wait for us to take the field this time. This World Cup is going to be very competitive as the game has become faster and the teams are playing more positively than ever before. All this augurs well for fans worldwide, promising them many thrilling moments.
“We look forward to preparing well and being at our best this October-November,” Rohit said in a statement released by BCCI.
Meanwhile, in order to prepare for that, India will be travelling to West Indies for a complete series. ODIs, meanwhile, will be extremely important for the team as the management will be hoping to sort out certain issues that have been created in the recent past due to the injury of some key players.
With KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer not available at the moment, Sanju Samson is very likely to get an opportunity in the playing XI, and his progress can very well shape India’s roadmap for the mega tournament. Bowlers will also be tested in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.