At the conclusion of the press conference held in Kandy on a Tuesday afternoon, India's cricket captain, Rohit Sharma, displayed a range of emotions. Initially, he appeared in high spirits when BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced his name as part of the 15-member squad for the ODI World Cup. However, as the media interaction extended to nearly 20 minutes, Rohit's demeanor shifted to one of irritation. What seemed to trigger his frustration was the final question posed by a journalist regarding the anticipation surrounding India versus Pakistan matches, similar to what was witnessed in the 2015 and 2019 World Cup tournaments.
Rohit's visible exasperation was evident as he responded to the query. He wore a weary expression and issued a stern warning to the media present, emphasizing that such questions should not be asked during World Cup press conferences, as he had no intention of addressing them. He further stressed the professionalism of every member in the Indian dressing room, highlighting their past experiences in handling such situations in their careers. Their primary focus, he emphasized, remained firmly on winning the World Cup, disregarding any external distractions.
Rohit sharma in press conference ???#Worldcup2023 pic.twitter.com/hJmt6rjQRd
— Awadhesh Mishra (@annnnshull) September 5, 2023
“How many times have I repeated this? Our work is something else. Our work is not to look at outside buzz and play according to that. All players are professional and they have seen all these things in the past. So, it doesn't make a huge difference. Aise sawal mat puchna jab humlog press conference karenga India me World Cup ke samae. Iska jawab mein nehi duunga (Please don't ask me such questions even when we hold a press conference in India before the World Cup. I'll not answer such questions). It doesn't make sense to keep talking about it because our focus is something else and we as a team would like to focus on that particular thing,” Rohit Sharma said.
It's worth noting that India, currently participating in the Asia Cup, has advanced to the Super Four stage. Their journey in the World Cup will commence on October 8 in Chennai with a match against Australia, followed by a highly-anticipated clash against arch-rivals Pakistan in Ahmedabad on October 15.
Also Read: India Squad for ODI World Cup: BCCI announces India team for World Cup 2023
Give Your Feedback