Asia Cup is not a fitness test for World Cup 2023
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma had his game face on in the pre-match press conference as he looked unperturbed by injury concerns. While Rohit is in no mood to give in to the hype surrounding India’s first ODI clash against Pakistan since ODI World Cup 2019, he made it clear that Asia Cup 2023 is not a fitness test for the mega event back home later this year.
“This is not a fitness Test. This tournament, Asia Cup, is not. It is the tournament played between top 6 teams. It has had so much of history. The fitness Test and camp was done in Bangalore. We have to get the game face on and see what we can achieve,” Rohit told the reporters on the eve of India’s Asia Cup campaign opener.
KL Rahul was ruled out
Earlier this week KL Rahul was ruled out of the first two games of Asia Cup 2023. Meanwhile, Rohit clarified that there are no injury concerns and is happy with the headache caused by a large pool of talented players.
“I would probably like this kind of headache. It is nice to have such a talent pool and so many players available. All these guys were not available. At their best, it is going to be a major task to make the playing 11. All the 15-18 players, we hope they can stay fit for the next two months. We have no injury concerns. That is a good sign moving forward,” the 36-year-old said.
Rohit will rely on his batting lineup’s experience against Pakistan. He also revealed that he has given the batters a free hand to approach the innings the way they want as the conditions are challenging in Sri Lanka.
“All sorts of combinations are available. We saw bit of swing and seam. We saw everything. Luckily, we have got experience in the batting line-up. That experience will come into play and it will come accordingly. We want to take the game on but it is important to read the situation. The whole idea about being aggressive and allow them to play their game, we let the individuals take the decision. A lot are experienced and they know what kind of game plan and mindset they need to play against the opposition,” the veteran batter said.