After Ravichandran Ashwin’s views of starting the 2023 ODI World Cup matches ahead of the usual time, India’s captain Rohit Sharma has opened up on the idea. Rohit Sharma led the Indian team to a 3-0 whitewash of Sri Lanka and now, facing New Zealand in another ODI series is the next assignment for the 35-year-old’s team. In a press conference ahead of the first ODI on Wednesday, Sharma opened on the idea of scheduling the World Cup matches early.
On the eve of the first ODI in Hyderabad, Sharma said that he likes the idea of starting the matches early but is not sure whether it will be done. “It is a good idea. It is a World Cup right? You don’t want to compromise too much on the toss factor. You want to completely take that away. I like the idea of an early start but don’t know if it is possible. The broadcasters will decide (laughs),” Sharma said at the Pre-match Conference.
Kishan to play in the middle order for NZ ODIs
Also, Sharma confirmed that Kishan will get a chance to play in the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand but the Southpaw will not bat at his usual opening slot, rather, he will play in the middle order. “Kishan will be batting in the middle order and I am glad he could get a run here after that fine knock in Bangladesh,” Sharma said.
‘We need to manage Siraj’: Sharma
Meanwhile, the Indian skipper has stated that Mohammed Siraj is a vital cog for the Indian team and they want to manage him well. “He is a very important player for us. He has improved his line and length a lot in the last two years. Now we are getting to see his outswing. He was not known for his swing but he did that against Sri Lanka. That is very good for the team if he can do that with the new ball consistently. He understands his bowling a lot better now which is a big thing in my view. He also knows what the team wants from him. All in all, he has become a very good bowler for us.
He can take wickets in all phases and we need bowlers like him. We need to manage him and keep him fresh for the World Cup as well as upcoming Tests against Australia,” Sharma said.
He also threw light on picking Shardul Thakur in the squad. Thakur was not part of the Indian team in the Sri Lanka ODI series but has replaced Arshdeep Singh for the New Zealand ODI series. Sharma said the quality that Thakur brings to bat down the order has made him earn a recall to the squad. India face New Zealand in a three-match ODI series on the 18th, 21st and 24th of January 2023.
Inputs from PTI.
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