Lanka will be tough to beat in ODIs: Rohit

Pallekele, August 16

Indian opener Rohit Sharma, who has been appointed the vice-captain of the limited-overs team, said he’s excited to step on the field in his new role. “It’s a huge honour. Ten years ago, I was thinking about playing for India. Being the vice-captain feels really, really good,” said Sharma here today. “I am looking forward to it but not thinking too much about it. I just want to enjoy the moment as of now.”

Having captained Mumbai Indians to three titles in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Sharma has already proved his leadership credentials. “It’s a different ball game. IPL and international cricket are completely different. But again, the excitement and energy are the same,” said Sharma. 

“So yes, nothing changes too much. I am the vice-captain here, there I was the captain, and so I was more in front. Here, I have to play a little behind-the-scene role. But yes, I will be very excited to step on to the field as the vice- captain.”

A spot in the Test side continues to elude the Mumbai batsman. In the just concluded Test series, he saw the action from the sidelines as India opted to play all-rounder Hardik Pandya. “It was not a good feeling,” admitted Sharma. “Nobody likes to sit out. But again, it all depends on the team dynamics, what the captain and the coach. And you got to accept the fact and move forward.

“I kept working on my skills, my ability, wherever I need to work and see where I can improve as a cricketer. All I was trying to do these past 3-4 weeks was to improve my skills, see where things are going wrong.”

Though India beat Sri Lanka comprehensively in the Test series, Sharma warned the ODI series, starting on August 20, will be more competitive. “I have no idea about their squad for this ODI series but they were good in the Champions Trophy. They beat us quite comfortably. Chasing 320 is never easy, especially in those conditions, but they batted fearlessly and took the game away from us. So we just got to stick to our strength and play good cricket,” said Sharma. — PTI