NEW DELHI: After playing a match-winning knock of 119 against England in the second ODI at the Barabati Stadium, India captain Rohit Sharma opened up about his philosophy as an international cricketer.
On Sunday, riding on Rohit’s 32nd ODI hundred, India chased down the target of 305 with ease, winning the contest with 33 balls and four wickets to spare.
Post-match, the BCCI released a video of Rohit speaking about his approach as a batter and the importance of enjoying the game.
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“People have played for a number of years and scored so many runs over the years. That means something. I have played this game for a long time now, and I understand what is required of me,” Rohit said candidly. “So, it’s just about going out there and doing your things, and what I did today was one of my things. In my mind, it was just about doing the things that I do. Bat the way I do. Try and bat the way I do.”
During the knock in Cuttack, Rohit also surpassed legendary Sachin Tendulkar (15,335 runs) in the list of batters with the most runs across formats as an opener. Rohit now has amassed 15,404 runs as an opener across formats, only behind Virender Sehwag‘s 15,758 runs in the all-time list.
“Like I said, I have been here long enough. One or two knocks are not going to change my mind. Just another day in the office. We need to do our job, okay. Our job is to just go out there and play the game. As long as you go out there and you know that today when you go to bat, you have given your best, that is what matters,” Rohit remarked.
While discussing his approach as a batter, Rohit explained: “Every time I walk on to the pitch, walk on to play the game, I want to try and do well. Sometimes it happens, and sometimes it may not happen. As long as I am clear on what I want to do, that’s all that matters, nothing else matters.”
“When you have scored so many runs, you have done something right. You just need to get back to that. That mindset of how to get runs, how to score runs. Sounds really simple, but it is quite difficult. But in my mind, it was just about enjoying. That is what we play the sport for – enjoy the game more than anything else,” Rohit concluded.
Fueled by hundred from their skipper, India defeated England to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Rohit (119 off 90 balls, 12×4, 7×6), who struck his 32nd ODI hundred, helped India chase down the target of 305. This is India’s seventh successive bilateral ODI series win against England.
During the knock, Rohit also reached 49 international centuries, surpassing Rahul Dravid‘s count of 48.
