Rohit Sharma mentioned that India’s upcoming One Day International series against Sri Lanka is not just a warm-up for the Champions Trophy scheduled for next year. The 37-year-old Rohit has rejoined the Indian team for this three-match series, having taken a month off after guiding India to victory in the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the United States.
The Champions Trophy will take place next February, following England’s hosting of the event in 2017. Rohit, who also led India to the finals of the ODI World Cup and the World Test Championships last year, stated that India will aim to perform at their best in the ODI series.
“People often ask if this series is a way to prepare for the World Cup or the Champions Trophy. It’s not a practice session – it’s still a real international match. We’ll remember our goals, but this is definitely not preparation or practice. We want to play well and gain something from this series,” Rohit mentioned during the press conference.
India will start the series after winning the T20 matches 3-0. They had easy victories in the first two games, but the third match was tough and went to a Super Over. Rohit said that India will try new things, but they won’t compromise the quality of cricket they’re known for.
“We definitely want to explore all options, but since we’re playing for our country, the standard of cricket needs to stay as high as it has been in recent years. That’s what matters most, not treating it like a warm-up and just having fun in Colombo. That’s not how we approach it,” Rohit said.
The opening One Day International match is set to begin on Friday, August 2 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
