Won’t face problem while opening for India, insists Rohit Sharma

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 23 : Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma, who batted at No. 4 throughout the IPL season 10, has insisted that he would be having no issues when he would open the batting for India in the upcoming Champions Trophy, beginning June 1 in England and Wales as both are two completely different formats.

"When you play for India, it's a different format. I don't see why people compare IPL and international cricket. My requirement here (with Mumbai Indians) was in the middle-order, and that's what I did," said Rohit while addressing a press conference in Mumbai.

"We realised at the start of the IPL that it's better for me to bat down the order to get that balance right.

I go there (to play for India), it's a different thing. I don't see that we need to make any comparisons when it comes to the IPL and international cricket," he added.

The Mumbaikar, who amassed 333 runs in 17 games he played for his franchise while batting at No. 4, feels that in the present era, players across the world adapt to the changing formats, that too with ease.

"For the last 10 years we have been playing in IPL. Then we go and play 50-over games and Test matches. So, I don't think, at this point, it is difficult for anyone, adjust. It's just in your mind that you have to keep reminding yourself that you need to change your mentality in terms of the format you are going to play," the right-hander said.

Rohit was out of action since October 2016 after suffering a thigh injury which required surgery. The 30-year-old has so far represented India in 21 Tests, 153 ODIs and 62 T20Is in which he has scored 1184, 5131 and 1364 runs respectively.

He is also the only batsman to have scored two double hundreds and a 250 in ODIs. His on field records keep everyone stunned, be it his stunning 209 in an ODI against Australia at Bangalore where he scored 209 runs or his record knock of 264 in an ODI against Sri Lanka at Kolkata.

India begin their Champions Trophy campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on June 4 at Edgbaston..

Source: ANI