Rohit Sharma led India back into the ODI team that took on Sri Lanka for the three-match series. His comeback into the team was quite awaited, and during the toss, he was asked whether he would take up bowling like what T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav did in the last match of that series. It was light-hearted laughter, and Rohit responded to say his prime focus would be on his batting, adding the squad had enough bowlers who could handle the responsibility of taking wickets.

“Not really, I’ll focus on my batting. We have enough bowlers in the squad that can roll their arm over,” Rohit Sharma told the broadcasters after he lost the toss in the first ODI match here at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Sri Lankan captain Charith Asalanka won the toss and opted to bat first.

Rohit looked refreshed and rejuvenated with this being his first outing following the win at the T20 World Cup. It was in the previous T20I series that Suryakumar Yadav took on a completely unexpected role as he rolled his arm over during a crucial juncture, highlighting his versatility.

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In the scintillating finish to the third T20I in Pallekele, when Sri Lanka needed only six runs from the final over, Suryakumar did the unthinkable and put himself to bowl. The game ended in a draw and continued into the exciting Super Over, which India won, hence winning the series 3-0.

This was the beginning of an optimistic era, with Suryakumar Yadav leading the side and Gautam Gambhir as the head coach. With this ODI side now under the experienced Rohit Sharma, the team will hope to replicate this success into T20 cricket. Key players in Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Kuldeep Yadav returned to strengthen the balance in the squad.

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“Good pitch. We have played a lot of cricket here and know the conditions. There have been a lot of changes; I am back, so is Virat, KL, and Shreyas Iyer. Kuldeep also comes back in. Dube is also playing. We have a pretty decent balance. We had a great World Cup; we didn’t cross the finishing line but there were a lot of positives. We have created an atmosphere where guys can come in and play with freedom,” Rohit Sharma said as he reflected on what the team strategy and mindset was.

Leadership by Rohit and refreshed lineup can bring a lot of hope for a successful series against Sri Lanka. The team is keen to build on what it has achieved so far and continue winning.