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Rohit Sharma opens up on India’s different mindset against Afghanistan
By SMCS - Nov 4, 2021 6:00 pm
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Team India opener Rohit Sharma has shared that the team went in with a “fearless” approach against Afghanistan, which helped them open the account in the T20 World Cup 2021. Notably, India defeated Afghanistan by 66 runs as well.

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Team India

While batting first after losing the toss in Abu Dhabi, Team India put up a massive total of 210 for 2. Rohit Sharma top-scored with 74, whereas another opener KL Rahul smashed 69. Later, the bowlers restricted the opposition to 144 for 7 as well. While talking about India’s impressive win, Rohit Sharma said that the team played the brand of cricket they wanted to play in the first two games but failed to do so.

In the post-match press conference, Rohit Sharma said: “We know that if we lose any game from now on, we are out of the tournament. So we have to win everything. When you are in that kind of a situation, you have to play fearlessly and not think about what is happening elsewhere.”

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Rohit again elaborated: “The approach today from everyone was different and I wish it was in the first two games as well, but it didn’t happen. That can happen when you are on the road for a long time. Decision-making can sometimes be a problem and that is exactly what happened in the first two games. We are a very good team, it is just that we were not good on that particular day against Pakistan and New Zealand. The game we played today sums it up that this is the kind of team we are. When we play fearlessly, this is what we get.”

Meanwhile, the swashbuckling opener did not agree that the batting unit struggled in the first two matches as they took time to adjust in the middle, considering they came directly from the IPL.

He countered: “All these guys, if I look at the top six-seven batters – myself, Rahul, Surya, Virat, Pant and Jaddu (Jadeja). These guys have been playing for a long time. So they don’t need to be told what they need to do in the Indian team. What they do for their franchise is their lookout, but when they come here, they know their roles. It is not that they are playing the first or second game for the team. They have been here for a long time and understand their roles.”

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Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant (27* off 13) and Hardik Pandya (35* off 13) also returned in form and made a valuable contribution. Even, the veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also did well as he claimed 2 for 14 in his 4-over spell.

“You saw his quality today. He has played so much cricket and has taken so many wickets. Playing a limited-overs match for India, he also knew that it was a challenge for him because he was playing after 3-4 years. But he was playing IPL consistently and he was bowling really well. He is a wicket-taking option and is not there to survive. When you have someone like that in the middle, it gives you an advantage. He understands his bowling pretty well,” Rohit Sharma concluded.