7 October - Chennai - India Captain Rohit Sharma pre-match press conference

[Reporter:]

Rohit, first match a big opener, what's the mood in the camp and is everybody fit and fine?

[Rohit Sharma:]

Yeah, the mood is pretty good as it is before the start of every big tournament. We've come into this tournament prepared really well, so quite confident about us skill wise.

And yeah, we're looking forward to the game. Yeah, everybody's fit. Gill is not 100%, but he's sick. So, there's no injury concern. Gill is not feeling well. We are monitoring him on a daily basis. So, we're going to give him every chance to recover and see how he feels. So, he's not ruled out yet.

[Reporter:]

You're generally a cool captain, you talk about all these things, but just the fact that you're a 50-over World Cup captain, what does that mean to you? You've been a Test captain, 20-over World Cup captain. Not too many people have led India in a 50-over World Cup. Just what that means to you.

[Rohit Sharma:]

Yeah, no, it means a lot. It's a huge honour to be part of this World Cup team, firstly, and then being the captain.

50-over World Cup is the biggest sporting event in cricketing history. So, for me, this is the biggest event that I will be part of. And being the captain as well, yes, it's a huge honour.

I've said it many a times that it was always a dream to be part of the World Cup team. And then now to be part of the team and then the captain, I don't know how to describe that because it's a big deal for me.

[Reporter:]

I wanted to know that you've recently concluded a series against Australia, ODIs, but then to take them on in the World Cup is a different ballgame altogether. How do you look at this face off?

[Rohit Sharma:]

Yeah, look, what we've done in the past, I don't think it'll matter too much. You've got to play good cricket on that given day. And Australia being Australia, we know how they play in ICC tournaments. There is a reason that they have so many championships. So, for us, it will be very important that we stick to what we want to do as a team, focus on our strengths, and assess the conditions here. That is going to be quite critical because the pitch can be here slightly tricky, can be challenging. So, you got to assess in terms of how you want to bat, how you want to bowl, what lengths, line for the spinners as well. So, everything comes into play and we played against Australia on this very same venue in March and we were slightly behind in that game. But we exactly knew what went wrong for us. So hopefully we shouldn't repeat that mistake that we made in that game in March. But again, like I said, it's a fresh day, fresh game for both teams. And I'm sure both teams will be raring to go and have a good start to the tournament.

[Reporter:]

Rohit, you mentioned it's a fresh day, and you mentioned the match in March. How similar or different do you expect the conditions to be tomorrow?

[Rohit Sharma:]

I think quite similar. Although in March it was quite hot, I don't think it is that hot now. We trained yesterday in the evening and we trained the day before in the afternoon. So pretty much felt the conditions that were a lot better actually than what it was in March. March was quite humid and hot. It is hot but it is not that humid. It's slightly better.

But the pitch I think I don't know. We still have to wait and see how it looks on match day because the colour of the pitch changes quite a lot here. So, we will wait on that match day and see what we need to do because that is something that we always do in India. We come on the match day and obviously not decide the playing XI, but the guys, the bowlers who are going to play, the batters who are going to bat, they have their way of going about what sort of shots I want to play on this pitch, what sort of length and lines I need to bowl on the pitch like that. So, everyone has their own way of looking at how they want to prepare for that particular game. But yeah, we'll come here tomorrow and see what it is like, because in India every day it's a new day and everything changes every day.

[Reporter:]

For the situations you spoke about, the conditions, the situation you have some very good options in the middle order, like how do you look at it when you read the conditions just suitable for a Sreyash or conditions just suitable for a Surya, how do you differentiate and make those assessments? Like if you could just give us an idea.

[Rohit Sharma:]

Yeah, I mean, look, like every seven - eight batters that we have in the squad, they bring different dimension to our team. They bring a different sort of style to our team and that is why they have been picked to play the game, play the tournament for us and that is what you want. I always spoke about being flexible, being a bit versatile in how you want to play. So, all of these guys bring that kind of quality with them. And look, in terms of playing in these conditions, there's huge amount of experience. They've played so much cricket, they know how to play. It is not for me to assess that; it is for them to assess that in the middle and then you know give them that freedom and clarity that this is what we want from you know how you do it. It is completely up to you but this is what we want from you in terms of role clarity from number one to number seven, eight, whoever that is. So as long as you give them that clarity, freedom, then it is up to them to plan how they want to do it. And having said that, there is complete backing from the squad, complete backing from the team management to that particular individual. If he goes out and does what the team has asked him to do, there is complete backing on that for the players.

[Reporter:]

You were magical as a batsman in the last World Cup with five 100s. Now you are Rohit Sharma, the batsman, has to live up to his expectations or the benchmark that he had set for himself in 2019, plus the pressure of leading at home. How are you sort of handling this dual pressure the - premier batsman as well as the captain and that to leading at home?

[Rohit Sharma:]

Yeah, both are different things - that is where the experience of being here for 16 years, playing the sport comes into picture. How you handle that pressure, handle that moments during the game. The 16 years of cricket has taught me that, how to go through the moments and how to handle those pressures and not to let that pressure come on to the team.

I'm sure at certain stages of the tournament some players will go through pressure the teams will go through pressure, but that is where we need characters. We need strong mentality from the players to come out and say that - OK, pressure is not leaving us, but I'm better off focusing on what I need to do for the team, rather than thinking about - there's too much pressure. Pressure is always there. We are Indian cricketers. We are supposed to go through pressure times, pressure situations. Everyone is very well aware of that. So, there's no point talking about pressure, pressure, pressure because everyone knows about it because they play cricket in India. Any tournament they play, you know the pressure is always there.

So, I think keeping that aside, it is important that, you know, we try and do what is required for the team, external factors aside, but try and focus on what you want to do. That is how, that is me telling you, I'm sure every individual has their own plan of going through that period and handling that period because I see a lot of strong mental characters in this squad Who have come through hard ships, you know, in their career. Nothing has been given that easy to any one of them. So, they've gone through their tough times, they've spent their hard times in the middle, and achieved what they've achieved today. So, and World Cup being a different ball game, yes, it's World Cup, but we want to treat this as a tournament for us as we come against different opposition, we focus on that opposition and then move on from there, not worry about what lies ahead, what's there for us in the future and things like that. That can only add pressure. But how you can cut down the pressure is just focus on what's coming up for us tomorrow and then keeping it very simple.

And for me as a batter, yes, I want to focus on what I can do the best for the team, whatever is required, whether it is giving good starts, batting as long as possible. I'll try and do everything that is required for the team.

[Reporter:]

Australian skipper has said that they play more white ball cricket here than even in Australia. So how much of this familiarity, and also you know each of them, so how much of that factor will come into play?

[Rohit Sharma:]

I know. I mean, it's absolutely true that they play a lot of cricket here. A lot of T20 cricket, recently played three ODIs against us. And before IPL, we played three ODIs again. So, in terms of you know how they plan their schedule it's pretty good and they know what is at stake, World Cup coming in India so we got to make sure that they play as much ODIs as possible in India and against India. So, it helps them, obviously. It's a good thing that they've done. But again, the conditions are not going to matter too much to any team, because

a lot of these teams have come here and played so much cricket. So, in terms of the alien conditions, I don't think it's there anymore. You just have to play good cricket and it is the same anywhere you go now. Honestly, all teams are playing so much cricket everywhere around the world. So, I don't think any team would feel that oh where am I? I have never played you know on pitches like this before. So, I don't think that's the case anymore.

[Reporter:]

Does it worry you at all with the ill health of Shubman Gill? You said that you know he is improving but does it worry you at all?

[Rohit Sharma:]

No, it doesn't worry. I mean obviously he is sick. I feel for him. But in terms of, you know, me being the human being first, I want him to get well, not the captain thinking, oh, I want Gill to play tomorrow. No, I want him to get well he you know he's a young guy he's got fit body so he'll recover he'll recover quick

[Reporter:]

Could we see you playing three spinners in these conditions How much does Ashwin's batting come into it or is playing the three quicks an advantage for your side?

[Rohit Sharma:]

Yeah, I mean that's the luxury we have where we can afford to play three spinners because

I don't really consider Hardik Pandya as just a seamer. He's a proper fast bowler, who can crank up good speed. So that gives us an advantage. That gives us that luxury of playing three spinners and three seamers as well you know so there's a possibility that we can play three spinners on this pitch with three seamers as well, so it gives us that balance gives us that number eight batting option as well, so yeah like I said will we have to come here again tomorrow afternoon and see what the pitch looks like but yeah, three spinners is definitely an option

[Reporter:]

Rohit, you guys have been a great generation of cricketers but is there a sense of unfinished business about this ODI World Cup? If you probably don't win, there is probably - there will be a sense of unfinished business. And does a sense of desperation probably creep in, in some of the super seniors who have done so well for so long?

[Rohit Sharma:]

Yeah, I mean look, you heard the great man say that so many times that you know, until he wins the World Cup, he's got a bit of unfinished business. I'm sure you know who I'm talking about.

So, it's the same for us as well. You know, you want to win the World Cup, It's the biggest prize that you can have in your career. But again, there's a way to do it. There's a procedure that you need to follow. There's a process to it.

In desperation, you can do so many things that can lead into so many other things as well. So, it's good to be desperate. It's good to be hungry. But you've got to find that balance, right? Balance to stay desperate and stay hungry for, scoring runs, lifting the trophy, winning games, whatever that is. But there is a balance that you need to find.

You cannot get way too ahead of yourself because that can lead into something that you don't really wish for.

You've got to find nice balance and luckily, I mean, for us, the seniors, they play a lot of cricket, so they know how to stay under that, you know, under that radar and keep doing things that they are supposed to do.

And then obviously we have to leave a lot of things to Almighty as well because we need that luck, a little bit of luck in the tournament. I hope we get that luck. But yeah, it will be nice to win a World Cup.

[Reporter:]

A World Cup is a very long tournament, you have to play nine league matches in it. And momentum is very important. We have seen that in the last 2 World Cups, we have topped in the league matches, but you know, when the knockout stage came, there was a problem. So, this too, considering the momentum, moving the momentum forward, how big a challenge this is for you as a captain?

[Rohit Sharma:]

No, see, last time also when we played the World Cup in 2019, it was a similar format.

And there are a lot of guys from that team in this team. So, these back-to-back matches, different opponents - I don't want to give an example of IPL because we play back-to-back matches in IPL as well. It's a long format. It's a T20 format, this is 50 overs. It's a bit different because it's a long game. It takes a lot of time to recover.

But in such tournaments, it's very important for you to focus on one match. I keep saying this, you can't think too much ahead. You have to think about tomorrow's match and how you can do well. Then you take it forward. You have to look at what you did well in the last game, who is the next opposition coming, what combination you have to play against them, what will be the pitch there, all these things. So, we will have league matches in nine different venues, different conditions, different opposition. So, I can't tell you my combination after a month. Our team's focus is on tomorrow's match. After that match, we will think of what to do next and take it forward.

[Reporter:]

As a captain in a format like this where you're playing nine matches with nine different teams at nine venues, do you believe that your best 11 should play every match in a World Cup as some teams like to do? Or do you feel that it should be horses for courses and you will like to change your team according to the venue and the opposition?

[Rohit Sharma:]

Yeah, no, see, sir. We definitely want to be a team where we want to play the best 11, but you can pick your best 11 based on the conditions that you have in front of you. Where there is a bit of assistance to the slower bowlers, you need to bring in that slower bowlers. So, your core of the team will remain the same. Your eight, nine, ten players will remain the same. There will be one or two changes here and there, which you've got to be ready to accept and take it into your stride and move forward. And that is the communication that we've had with the players at the beginning, and everyone's ready to do it. You know, it's the World Cup.

So, no one should have personal preferences. It's the team that matters and the team's goal that matters. So, I think without me talking in the team changing room too much about it, they should realize that, OK, this is a bigger deal. So, we have to focus on whatever the team wants and do it for the team.

[Reporter:]

[inaudible question]

[Rohit Sharma:]

I felt very nice, I just saw it being declared when I came in from the dressing room. I've never won a gold medal. But our team, the other team, has done it. So, I want to congratulate them. This is a big moment for our country. Winning a gold medal is a dream. We always used to watch on TV, gold medal. Today our cricketers, even women's team has won gold medal. So, salute.