Rohit Sharma snapped at a journalist during the ODI World Cup squad announcement on Tuesday, 5 September. The Indian captain was asked about the public perception when India play in world tournaments, and he responded by saying that he does not care what happens on the outside and that all the players in his team are professional.

“I have said this so many times. We don’t care what happens on the outside. All the players in our team are professional. Don’t ask me such questions. I won’t answer such questions. It doesn’t make sense to talk about such things. Our focus is something else and we do not care about these things,” Sharma said.

India stuck with their Asia Cup squad by and large for the ODI World Cup, cutting off two players to make it a 15-member squad. Prasidh Krishna and Tilak Varma were the players who missed out. Sharma said that the squad was along the expected lines, and no drastic changes had been made.

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“There are no surprises and you can get only 15 in. Some of the guys will be disappointed. I have gone through it and I know how it feels. We have good all-round options and this is the best 15 we could get,” Sharma said.

Rohit sharma in press conference 🔥🔥🔥#Worldcup2023 pic.twitter.com/hJmt6rjQRd

— Awadhesh Mishra (@annnnshull) September 5, 2023

He also said that he had not yet thought about the plans for the tournament, but that he would be looking to create batting depth and get the bowlers to contribute with the bat as well.

“We have to create the batting depth. Obviously, the Nos 8 and 9 become crucial when it comes to batting depth. We fell a little short at the back end with the bat. Their job is not just to bowl the opposition out but also to score some runs. 10 or 15 runs could be the difference between winning and losing,” Rohit Sharma said.

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“You got to see what the conditions are. Six bowlers cannot bowl 10 overs each, you have to see what suits which bowler that day. There will be times where spinners will not bowl their full quota of 20 overs,” he further added.

Sharma’s reaction to the journalist’s question was surprising, but it is clear that he is determined to focus on the task at hand and not let outside noise distract him. India will be one of the favorites to win the ODI World Cup, and Sharma will be hoping that his team can live up to the expectations.