“Play freely, dont think too much”: Rohit Sharma

After securing a spot in the ICC T20 World Cup semi-final, India captain Rohit Sharma urged his team to continue playing freely and not to worry about the challenges ahead when they face defending champions England.

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Rohit emphasized that personal milestones, such as hundreds and half-centuries, are not the focus, despite his explosive 92-run innings setting up India’s 24-run victory over Australia. This win secured their semi-final berth in the ongoing T20 World Cup on Monday.

In a turbulent chase at St Lucia, where momentum swung back and forth, India clinched a comprehensive win. Rohit’s knock earned him the Player of the Match award.

When asked about their strategy for the semi-final against England, Rohit stated, “We don’t want to do anything different. Play the same way and understand what each person has to do. Play freely and do not think too much about what’s lying ahead. Do not think about the opposition. We have been doing it consistently, just need to continue. (On playing England in the semi) It will be a nice match, nothing changes for us as a team.”

Reflecting on the match, Rohit acknowledged the importance of sticking to their game plan and adapting to conditions. “Satisfying. We know the opposition and the threat they bring. As a team, we did well, and kept doing the things we needed to do. Gives us good confidence as a team. 200 is a good score but when you are playing here with wind being a big factor, anything can happen. But I think we used the conditions really well, and it was about individuals doing their job,” he added.

Rohit explained the strategic use of left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who played a crucial role in the match by taking key wickets. “It was about getting wickets at the right time. We know the strength he has, but we need to use him when necessary. In New York, there were seamer-friendly wickets. He had to miss out but we knew he had a big role to play out here,” said Rohit.

Rohit also reiterated his fearless batting approach, noting the importance of exploiting all areas of the field. “That’s what I have to do (in the powerplay), try and see what the bowlers are doing, play accordingly. They changed their plans and tried to bowl against the breeze. Needed to be smart, was just backing myself up to do,” Rohit said.

He highlighted the need for an open-minded approach to counter smart bowlers and leverage good wickets. “You got to understand that bowlers are smart, they are not going to bowl into the breeze. I was thinking of hitting everything that was possible. You can access all sides of the field, that is what I was trying to do. It has been a good wicket, and you need to back yourself up on good wickets, glad that it came off today. I told you that 50s and 100s don’t matter to me. Need to put the bowlers under pressure, and you need big scores for that. I tried to access all sides of the field, not just one side,” Rohit concluded.

Finishing at the top of Super 8 Group 1 with six points in three matches, the Rohit Sharma-led side will face defending champions England in the semi-final at Providence Stadium in Guyana on June 27.