The England ODI series will be an ideal preparatory ground for the Indian team ahead of CT.
Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar expects Rohit Sharma to adopt a slightly more conservative approach during the upcoming three-match ODI series against England.
After an extended lean patch in Test cricket, Bangar believes Rohit will be keen to regain his mojo with the bat and build momentum ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy, slated to be held in Pakistan and UAE from February 19 to March 9.
The 50-over series against England, starting February 6 in Nagpur, will be an ideal preparatory ground for the Indian team before the ICC showpiece.
While the squad is yet to be unveiled, Rohit Sharma is likely to lead the side and open the batting.
"This is a format wherein he has faced a lot of success, and he would be hungry for runs. He would want to put his lack of form or run of poor scores behind. It's going to be interesting to see how he approaches his batting in the first 10 overs because he wanted to play a little bit differently," Bangar said while speaking on Star Sports.
"Whether he plays with the same tempo or goes back to the tempo which gave him a lot of high scores, he would certainly need runs in the bank. That's where we could see a slightly different Rohit Sharma in the first 10 overs," he added.
When discussing Rohit’s likely opening partner, Bangar acknowledged the impressive form of Yashasvi Jaiswal but suggested that the left-hander could serve as a backup option.
"Yashasvi Jaiswal is somebody who has been very impressive. He can be your backup top-order batter. So, in case of an injury or something, he can come and play at that position," Bangar remarked.
He advocated for Shubman Gill to open the innings alongside Rohit, highlighting the former’s prolific ODI form.
"You would still want to see Shubman Gill in action because his year had been phenomenal. So Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma, along with Virat Kohli, would certainly be the starting top three positions," Bangar concluded.