19 November,2023 07:30 AM IST | Ahmedabad | Ashwin Ferro
Skipper Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday. Pic/Getty Images
Twelve years ago for Rohit Sharma, in his own admission, "was a very emotional and hard time," after not being part of the 2011 World Cup-winning Indian team. On Sunday, he has the opportunity to step into eternal sunshine when he leads two-time champions India in the ODI World Cup final against five-time winners Australia.
Rohit's form has been brilliant, considering he's among the top five run-getters at this edition with 550 runs to his name. Complementing him are two chart-topping teammates - batting superstar Virat Kohli with the highest runs in the tournament at 711 and veteran pacer Mohammed Shami, the leading wicket-taker with 23 scalps from six matches so far.
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Add to this, the fact that the otherwise dominant-looking Australians have not had the best of World Cups this far, with eight wins and two defeats, and it seems that the stars are aligning for Rohit to lift that World Cup on Sunday. He refuses to get too excited however.
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"I'm very happy to be at this stage where I'm leading the team into the World Cup final. I never thought it would happen, but things do happen if you wish for it and if you dream big. This is very big for me. As a child, I grew up eyeing World Cup glory in the 50-over format. I know the importance of tomorrow, so I just want to keep it nice and relaxed and calm and not get too emotional. I want to create the same environment that I created for myself when we started this World Cup. We were all in great space then and we are all in great space now. I want to maintain that," Rohit told a packed match-eve press conference at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday.
The swashbuckling opener explained how he has planned the journey for himself and Team India since becoming captain a couple of years back. "Two years ago, since I became the captain, we have prepared for this day. We had the T20 World Cup, then the World Test Championship and now this. So, for all three formats, we had to prepare and identify the right players. Then these players were given their role clarity. As captain and coach [Rahul Dravid], we told them that this will be their job for the team. I believe this job clarity has played an important role in us reaching this far. Whether we perform well or not is another matter, but as long as all the boys are playing as per their role, like who will come and bat, which boys will bowl, which boys will stand in the slip, it's fine. We've planned all this and till now everything has been good. Hopefully, tomorrow will be the same," explained the Mumbai man.
There is no doubt that this is the biggest match in the lives of all the Indian players and none more so than Rohit himself, who, at 36, stands in the evening of his career. For a batsman who thrives on the pull shot, Rohit will be hoping that his Men in Blue can pull off Indian cricket's biggest victory in over a decade on Sunday.
