India captain Rohit Sharma said that though there is much talk about the India-Pakistan match in the ongoing Asia Cup 2023, it must not be forgotten that there are four more teams competing as well and anyone can win the trophy.
His words came ahead of the much-anticipated India v Pakistan encounter in Kandy, Sri Lanka, on September 2, 2023. This will be the first time the two sides meet in an ODI since the 2019 World Cup.
Rohit also said that the Indian team management doesn’t see the Asia Cup as a preparation for the World Cup 2023 which will be played in India in November.
“For us, it is a big tournament ahead of the ODI World Cup. Last year we also played in this tournament ahead of the T20 World Cup. It’s a good tournament where your skills, and your ability to play under pressure… everything will be tested.
I don’t see the Asia Cup just as a preparation. It is a big tournament for us to find out a few answers ahead of the World Cup. Our focus is to play well in the Asia Cup,” Rohit told journalist Vimal Kumar on his YouTube channel.
India and Pakistan will clash in a group A game on September 2nd, but there is potential for two more matches if both qualify for the Super 4s stage and the final of the Asia Cup.
Rohit Sharma also played down the talk that the Asia Cup has been reduced to an India-Pakistan bilateral series.
“No no, it’s not like that. Fans and media can say that it is a kind of one-day series between India and Pakistan but we must not forget that there are other teams as well. Sri Lanka won the Asia Cup last year, they played extremely well. Anyone can win the Asia Cup. You can’t afford to think that we are only playing against one team. There are four other teams, it’s just not about one opponent,” he added.
Furthermore, the Indian skipper was delighted with having Jasprit Bumrah fit and raring to go but doesn’t want to put the bowler under any kind of unnecessary pressure.
“It was good to see Bumrah back in action after so long. He is a very key player for us. Both Bumrah and Prasidh played two games in Ireland and they bowled well. It was a good sign for us. Both of them have worked hard in the past one and half years at the NCA,” he said.
“I am happy that he is back from the injury after so long. I am glad to see him in action. But it would be very unfair for me to talk about one player. It is a team and you need contribution from every individual to win a tournament, you need to have performance from everyone.
I don’t want to put him under any unnecessary pressure with any expectations. If you are playing for India, there always be pressure and expectations, they are like brothers. It’s not going anywhere. So one should focus on the goals of the team,” Rohit signed off.
Here is the video of the chat:
