On the eve of the first ODI against West Indies, India’s new white-ball skipper Rohit Sharma said he just wants to keep things simple and take the team forward from where Virat Kohli left.
Last year, Kohli stepped down as T20I captain and then the BCCI sacked him as ODI skipper as well, handing the responsibility completely to Rohit.
Since Rohit missed out on the recently held South Africa tour due to a hamstring injury, the West Indies series will be his first assignment as full-time limited-overs captain.
"When Virat was the captain, I was the vice-captain. I just have to take it from where he left. Everybody knows what is expected out of them, we want to continue with the same template. There is not much we need to change. It is just that adaptability and being open to different things is what we have spoken of. It is not like I have to come in and change things drastically," said Rohit during a virtual press conference on Saturday (February 5).
"I just have to take it from where he left and it is important guys understand the responsibilities. This is what I will focus on, giving them the clarity on what is expected out of them," he added.
With Kohli leaving the Test captaincy after the series loss to South Africa last month, Rohit seems to be the favourite to get the leadership position in the longest format as well.
When asked about potentially leading the Test side, Rohit said: "My focus right now is to lead India in the ODIs and T20Is against West Indies. I am not thinking too far ahead."
Team India are going into the 50-over series against West Indies on the back of a 3-0 ODI series defeat versus South Africa, but Rohit isn’t too concerned about it.
"My thoughts are very straightforward, the series against South Africa is the only ODI series we have lost in the past few years. Our ODI percentage has been 70 plus if I am not wrong, maybe more. If there is a change we need to do in terms of how we approach the game, we will do that. It is not like you have to suddenly come and copy what other teams are doing," said Rohit.
"Other teams are different and their setups are different. I am open to change in approach, we have had chats with individuals. But suddenly, we cannot change too many things. It is important for us to keep things simple. The way we have played in the past few years has been remarkable, the guys who are coming in now have not played ODI cricket much, it is crucial for us to give them a chance and we have the time to do that. Over the course of coming months, we will look to do things differently," he added.
India ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Mayank Agarwal, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul (available for 2nd ODI), Rishabh Pant, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan.
(With ANI inputs)
