Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson named Team India’s inability to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy as “unfortunate” but he also said that the mega event will offer star batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma a chance to get back in form from a prolonged form slump. Notably, after much deliberation, the ICC has agreed with the ‘Hybrid’ model for this edition of the CT with India scheduled to play its matches in Dubai as well.
“It’s unfortunate that things have worked out that way for sure. But there’s no doubt that what everyone loves seeing — the India-Pakistan games. Whenever they come together, whether it’s an ICC event, it is a really special time because we’ve got a sense of what’s on the line,” Watson told the media during the Champions Trophy Tour. “It’s unfortunate that India aren’t travelling to Pakistan for this Champions Trophy. But, unfortunately, that’s just the way it is right now.”
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Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were part of Team India’s triumph at the 2011 Champions Trophy in England 12 years back, but now both of them are finding it tough to make big runs as they did in the past as well. But Shane Watson was not worried over the Indians’ lean form for talks surrounding their retirement as well.
“I don’t think it (current poor form) will really play a part at all with Rohit Sharma and Virat’s impact in one-day cricket. It’s going to be different conditions where they’re playing in Dubai. One-day cricket does really free them both as well,” added Shane Watson. “Kohli is an absolute master of one-day cricket. Yes, he’s a master of all formats, but especially ODIs. You see his extraordinary numbers over a long period of time, averaging around 57 and a strike rate of 93 over a long period of time. It’s crazy to think the control that he has over his innings.”
Watson also said that Rohit could be back to his best in ODIs as well.
“We’ll see that again in the Champions Trophy. Rohit, like we saw in the one-day World Cup (2023), when he was at his very best, he was taking on the game. It’s more difficult to be able to do that in Test cricket. He hasn’t been able to find that balance here in Australia. But when he goes out for the batting in one-days, he lets loose. That’s when we see the very best of Rohit Sharma. So I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t perform really well in the Champions Trophy, knowing that he probably doesn’t have a lot of time left, whatever that is, but a lot of time left in international cricket. So I’m sure he’ll let the handbrake off,” he concluded.
