Rohit Sharma (India Captain) pre-match Press Conference - 4th June 2024
[Reporter:]
World Cup was never held. Is it a mystery or an excitement? And starting off with a team like Ireland is it also a psychological advantage on an unknown wicket?
[Rohit Sharma:]
Yeah, the conditions are quite unknown for many teams who are going to play here and it is the same for all the oppositions. It is going to be the same for all the teams playing here. You just have to play good cricket, it’s as simple as that. We're not going to look into too much into the oppositions we are playing. What is important for us, is to do well as a team, whether batting, bowling or fielding. Our focus will be on all these three aspects of the game and not too much into what kind of oppositions we are playing. Of course, you look into their strengths and weaknesses, but not looking at how they play or what their team is composed of. I think our focus will be on what we want to do as a team and focus on all three aspects of the game, like I said.
[Reporter:]
There is a certain brand of cricket that the team has been playing in both the white ball formats over a period of time. Given the conditions as they might exist here, how important is it to adapt and how therefore important does it become for the top three to send messages back to the dressing room, especially when you're batting first?
[Rohit Sharma:]
Yeah, I think we saw in the warm -up game we played against Bangladesh. Of course, the two batters were in the middle. A lot of communications between them at first, and then obviously, sending the message back in as well is quite important. Those are the basics of when you start playing in slightly difficult or different conditions, I would say; communication between your partners and the guys who are coming to bat in.
We have discussed a lot of stuff before this game as to what the condition has to offer and how we're going to play on these type of conditions. Certainly, it doesn't look like it's a place where you can score easily. So, we've got to be a little mindful of that and see what best we can do. That is what the experience in the dressing room is all about. We've got a lot of experienced batters who have played in different conditions outside of India. I hope their experience come to the fore, apply themselves and use it to their best advantage, and eventually benefiting the team as well.
I think it's quite important to do little things right in these types of conditions, eventually adding up to the bigger cause. And that is what the focus will be on.
We are all coming off playing an IPL where a lot of runs were scored. So, it's important to have that balance, understand what is required here. It's certainly not going to be an IPL kind of scores here. We are very mindful of that. And we just need to assess as quickly as possible and then bring your game into the picture.
[Reporter:]
Obviously, you had the warm-up game on the ground the other day, but then yesterday the pitch played a certain way. Did the performance of the pitch yesterday, has that led you to make even further changes?
[Rohit Sharma:]
I didn't get to watch the game. I was a little busy with my family who had arrived yesterday. But no, certainly I know how the pitch played, hearing from my other teammates, and we've got a lot of guys in the team and the support staff were talking about what happened in that game.
But see, again, all I can say is we'll make the best decision possible for these types of conditions, whatever the best level we feel. We’ll just go to the ground and have a look at the pitch. Certainly, a lot of things are very uncertain in terms of the outfield, in terms of how the pitch is going to play. There is a square of four pitches. I don't know which wicket we will be playing on. So, who knows - the wicket that we are playing tomorrow might be a good wicket to bat on. So, it's all about adapting. Like I said just now, it's all about adapting and getting used to that condition real fast, because you don't have too much time. And if the pitch plays well, certainly we know what to do on pitches which are playing well. When the pitch is doing a little bit, we know exactly what we need to do as a batting group. And also, the bowling group as well. It's just not about batting. I think when you have a pitch like that, where it's slightly helpful for the bowlers, bowlers have an important role to play as well.
So yeah, we'll keep an eye on all these aspects of the game and see what is best in terms of our combination as well. We've got balance in all department, whether if we need seamers, we've got seamers, we have good spin bowlers as well. So yeah, we'll decide based on how the pitch is. Again, the dimension of the ground as well, we've got to go and see all of that.
[Reporter:]
Rohit, before the ODI World Cup, you had said that there was a sense of unfinished business to that tournament. And we all know how difficult it was to deal with the defeat. So here, this is one tournament that you have won. And so do you go into a T20 World Cup like this with a lot more freedom as – what has to happen will happen - otherwise it's fine. Like, life goes on.
[Rohit Sharma:]
I have thought a lot about all this - now I'm just going to play my game and help the team in whatever way I can and get everyone together to play as a team, that is what I'm going to be focusing on. Not looking at the larger picture, I don't think those kinds of thoughts will help so much. Staying in the present and doing what is required at that particular time which is important, and I'll be focusing on that. I'm sure everyone in the team have their own way of dealing with tournaments like World Cup. And I'm sure they'll take the right calls as well. But for me, I think it's important not to look too far ahead. Just think about what we need to do tomorrow. Play the game well and then take it from there. We wont think too much and put ourselves under pressure.
[Reporter:]
You played almost all the T20 World Cups from the starting. How the game has evolved over the years? Could you share what you expect this time?
[Rohit Sharma:]
Yeah, we have seen it over the years. A lot of innovations, a lot of unexpected things people don't expect guys are doing and that's how the game has evolved. The run scoring has become a lot more frequent and guys are fearless now. They don't worry about the results so much. They just want to try and put pressure. The bowlers, the same as well. They're not afraid of taking various options when they are bowling as well.
So yeah, it's there for people to see how the game has evolved from 2007 to now.
140 - 150 was a winning score. But again, on pitches like these, I don't know what the good score is, but I'm just saying, all the tournaments that we've been watching, T20 tournaments, the average score is a lot more than what it used to be in 2007. So that's because of the innovation of the players, trying to do different things at different times, being brave, and stuff like that.
[Reporter:]
As an individual player or as maybe a captain of one of the most popular team in the world, how do you see this whole concept of bringing cricket to mainland America and cricket will be a part of LA Olympics as well? From that point of view, how hopeful, how excited are you guys to play cricket in this part of the world?
[Rohit Sharma:]
No, we are all very excited. We never thought - cricket in America will be played at any given stage, but now that we are here it's a different feeling.
From the time we arrived in New York, spending only 10 minutes at immigration, which is very rare. So, you can make out that the buzz is here, even the locals here are quite intrigued by a cricket tournament happening, a World Cup happening here. Because we go to the cafes and all. There are a lot of locals who come there and wish us the best. So, all these things, we've never experienced because we've never been here. We've been to Florida, but this is different. I'm sure all of us who are playing here will leave a mark in this city and the people of US as well.
So hopefully it's the right step in the right direction. And for the future of cricket to happen in America, I think this is the right platform and right first stepping stone for all of us, all the teams who are participating, to make sure that we leave something behind for the people of US.
[Reporter:]
Yesterday Rahul declared that it would be his last assignment as coach. You have had the best of equation with him as captain and coach. Will you say something about your association and is there anything in the team that will do it for him or something like that? Generally, it happens before the World Cup.
[Rohit Sharma:]
We have not really thought of it. But yeah, look, my equation with him goes a long way back from the time he came to do this job, actually. He was my first international captain when I made my debut in Ireland. He was my first captain, and then I've seen him play while I was just coming into the team, test matches, when he was captain. And such a big role model for all of us. Growing up, we watched him play. We know what he's achieved personally as a player and also what he's done for the team over the years, battling out the team from difficult situations. And that is what he's known for. He's shown a lot of great determination throughout his career, and that is something that, when he came here as a coach, I wanted to learn from him. It's been very fruitful, other than the big silverware I think we've won all the major tournaments and series and all of that. But yeah, having said that, I think I've enjoyed every bit of it, working with him, deciding what direction the team needs to head. And for him to buy into that thought, obviously, makes a huge difference. And he was the first one who came and said, this is what we need to do as a team. And no matter what happens, but at least we'll give it a good shot at it when he arrived.
I tried convincing him to stay, but obviously, there are a lot of things that he needs to look after as well. But yeah, I've personally enjoyed my time with him. I'm sure the rest of the guys will say the same. It's been great working with him and I hope, I'm not going to say anything, actually. I'm not going to say anything.
[Reporter:]
Rohit, just what your thoughts are on the Ireland team and whether it's, we say in English, a bit of a banana skin type of game for you.
[Rohit Sharma:]
No, not really. It's going to be a good game. They are a good team. They play a lot of T20 cricket, a lot of their players play around the world in a lot of the leagues. So yeah, it's going to be as competitive a game as we play with any other opposition. Like I said at the start, the first question, we just got to be looking at what we need to do as a team. And whatever they throw at us, we need to be ready with our answers as well.
So, it's going to be a good game. We have to be at our best to win the game. That's how T20 cricket goes. If you lose the grip, if you lose your focus, there's a good chance that you might not end up on the right side. So, for us, I think it's important that we start well, focus on what we need to do, assess the conditions, and play the game well.
[Reporter:]
Rohit, when you left the shores of India in the press conference with the chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, a question was asked, why four spinners are being taken to the Caribbean and the US. And your answer was, that is my secret. Is today the day where the magician reveals a secret?
[Rohit Sharma:]
No, it's still a secret. You'll watch it across the tournament.
[Reporter:]
That was my question too – you have thought about it and brought four spinners. But the practice match that you'll played, what was happening for the spinner? Yesterday also, Sri Lanka's batting first was a mess. The spinner played a big role in that. So, the role of the spinner, the way you bat in practice matches, it seems that in general, not only for us, the role of the spinner will be big here.
[Rohit Sharma:]
Yes, it will be there. It will definitely be there. And our two spinners are basically all-rounders. Jadeja and Axar Patel. So, if you want to make a good team balance, you need a lot of all-rounders in the team who can bat and put overs.
In fast bowling all-rounders, we have Hardik, Dubey, Jadeja. In spin we have two – Aksar and Jadeja. So how to use these four players is our focus. We have thought about it already but as the tournament progresses, different conditions come up, opposition comes up, we will accordingly use these four players. That is our focus.
We have seen the all-rounders are big factors in T20 cricket. Not just T20 cricket, but in all formats. But I think their roles will be very important because the rest of the team can only play one role, they have two roles in the team. So, I think it is important that we use these four well. As I said, I don't know if we can play all four together. If we can, that'll be good. If we cannot, even then, we have to find our way. But if you have options, it's good. If you don't have options, you won't be able to do anything. And as we saw when we played the warm-up game against Bangladesh, all three spinners bowled two overs each, but they bowled two good overs. It wasn't that easy to hit them. And in yesterday's match too, the spinners took wickets.
So, look, no one knows about these conditions, whether the spinners will take wickets or the seamers. So, we have to find the best combination. We have to see what will suit our team. How can we keep our batting line up long? How can we have more bowling options? So, keeping these two things in mind, we will think of making a combination.
[Reporter:]
During the warm up game, a fan had suddenly come on the ground. The way the security caught him, you were requesting him to take it easy. Can you tell us about the emotion at that time? And the fans who have come to America for the first time are very eager to meet you and get your attention. Obviously wherever you play for India, there is a lot of such demand. Is it a distraction? How do you handle the team?
[Rohit Sharma:]
See, first of all, I would say that no one should intrude into the ground. This is not right. And this question was also not right, because we don't want to promote this thing that who is running and coming to the ground.
I think, players' security is important, similarly, the security of the people outside is also important. We are playing cricket, yes, but the people sitting outside, it is important for them to understand that there are rules and regulations for every country. It is very important to follow them and understand them. So, that's all I can say. Now, what more can I say?
See, the rules are different in India and here. So, understand the rules, what is there and what is not. See the match, they have made such a good stadium. You can watch the match comfortably. No need to run to the ground, no need to do all this, I think.
And what was the other thing?
[Reporter:]
Is this a distraction? When such incidents happen?
[Rohit Sharma:]
No, no, it's not a distraction. Look, our focus is on some other things. We don't focus on who is running to the ground and what to do. I don't think that any player will be distracted by that. Because a lot of big things are going through their minds. How to win a match, how to make a run, how to take a wicket. I'm sure everyone is thinking about that. So, I don't think that players can be distracted by such things. So, I don't think we can distract the players.
[Reporter:]
When I do a radio show, there's a tagline of mine, Mamta, who doesn't like anything.
I just want to say that as a captain of this team, playing here in US, it's a completely different experience for you. So, what would you like to say to your fans in the US, not just NRI, but everyone who doesn't know cricket?
[Rohit Sharma:]
No, see, that's why we came here to play cricket, to promote cricket in this country. We have never played cricket in this state, we have never played an international match here, it's going to be the first time. I'm sure that, as I said, all of us cricketers here should leave something behind for the American public who live here and who like cricket. So hopefully, the kind of cricket that will be played here – hopefully the fans and others will come to watch cricket and there will be a lot more matches here in the future. That's what I think.
[Reporter:]
Did you do any preparation for the Caribbean? I'm from Barbados and I know that's where your goal is. So, did you prepare for the prospect that you might be doing the finals in Barbados?
[Rohit Sharma:]
Like I said, it's too far ahead. But we played a lot of cricket in West Indies last year as well. We played a lot of T20 cricket as well. Although we didn't win the series the last time we played in the Caribbean. But I mean, we understand the conditions there. We know what to expect from those type of conditions. We played possibly in all the venues that we're going to play during the World Cup. So, we are quite aware of the conditions. All the guys have played, maybe one or two haven't played there, but the rest of us are here to help them out as to what they need to do. But in terms of knowing the conditions, preparation, I think we should be sorted with that, because we played a lot of cricket there.
[Reporter:]
World Cup was never held. Is it a mystery or an excitement? And starting off with a team like Ireland is it also a psychological advantage on an unknown wicket?
[Rohit Sharma:]
Yeah, the conditions are quite unknown for many teams who are going to play here and it is the same for all the oppositions. It is going to be the same for all the teams playing here. You just have to play good cricket, it’s as simple as that. We're not going to look into too much into the oppositions we are playing. What is important for us, is to do well as a team, whether batting, bowling or fielding. Our focus will be on all these three aspects of the game and not too much into what kind of oppositions we are playing. Of course, you look into their strengths and weaknesses, but not looking at how they play or what their team is composed of. I think our focus will be on what we want to do as a team and focus on all three aspects of the game, like I said.
[Reporter:]
There is a certain brand of cricket that the team has been playing in both the white ball formats over a period of time. Given the conditions as they might exist here, how important is it to adapt and how therefore important does it become for the top three to send messages back to the dressing room, especially when you're batting first?
[Rohit Sharma:]
Yeah, I think we saw in the warm -up game we played against Bangladesh. Of course, the two batters were in the middle. A lot of communications between them at first, and then obviously, sending the message back in as well is quite important. Those are the basics of when you start playing in slightly difficult or different conditions, I would say; communication between your partners and the guys who are coming to bat in.
We have discussed a lot of stuff before this game as to what the condition has to offer and how we're going to play on these type of conditions. Certainly, it doesn't look like it's a place where you can score easily. So, we've got to be a little mindful of that and see what best we can do. That is what the experience in the dressing room is all about. We've got a lot of experienced batters who have played in different conditions outside of India. I hope their experience come to the fore, apply themselves and use it to their best advantage, and eventually benefiting the team as well.
I think it's quite important to do little things right in these types of conditions, eventually adding up to the bigger cause. And that is what the focus will be on.
We are all coming off playing an IPL where a lot of runs were scored. So, it's important to have that balance, understand what is required here. It's certainly not going to be an IPL kind of scores here. We are very mindful of that. And we just need to assess as quickly as possible and then bring your game into the picture.
[Reporter:]
Obviously, you had the warm-up game on the ground the other day, but then yesterday the pitch played a certain way. Did the performance of the pitch yesterday, has that led you to make even further changes?
[Rohit Sharma:]
I didn't get to watch the game. I was a little busy with my family who had arrived yesterday. But no, certainly I know how the pitch played, hearing from my other teammates, and we've got a lot of guys in the team and the support staff were talking about what happened in that game.
But see, again, all I can say is we'll make the best decision possible for these types of conditions, whatever the best level we feel. We’ll just go to the ground and have a look at the pitch. Certainly, a lot of things are very uncertain in terms of the outfield, in terms of how the pitch is going to play. There is a square of four pitches. I don't know which wicket we will be playing on. So, who knows - the wicket that we are playing tomorrow might be a good wicket to bat on. So, it's all about adapting. Like I said just now, it's all about adapting and getting used to that condition real fast, because you don't have too much time. And if the pitch plays well, certainly we know what to do on pitches which are playing well. When the pitch is doing a little bit, we know exactly what we need to do as a batting group. And also, the bowling group as well. It's just not about batting. I think when you have a pitch like that, where it's slightly helpful for the bowlers, bowlers have an important role to play as well.
So yeah, we'll keep an eye on all these aspects of the game and see what is best in terms of our combination as well. We've got balance in all department, whether if we need seamers, we've got seamers, we have good spin bowlers as well. So yeah, we'll decide based on how the pitch is. Again, the dimension of the ground as well, we've got to go and see all of that.
[Reporter:]
Rohit, before the ODI World Cup, you had said that there was a sense of unfinished business to that tournament. And we all know how difficult it was to deal with the defeat. So here, this is one tournament that you have won. And so do you go into a T20 World Cup like this with a lot more freedom as – what has to happen will happen - otherwise it's fine. Like, life goes on.
[Rohit Sharma:]
I have thought a lot about all this - now I'm just going to play my game and help the team in whatever way I can and get everyone together to play as a team, that is what I'm going to be focusing on. Not looking at the larger picture, I don't think those kinds of thoughts will help so much. Staying in the present and doing what is required at that particular time which is important, and I'll be focusing on that. I'm sure everyone in the team have their own way of dealing with tournaments like World Cup. And I'm sure they'll take the right calls as well. But for me, I think it's important not to look too far ahead. Just think about what we need to do tomorrow. Play the game well and then take it from there. We wont think too much and put ourselves under pressure.
[Reporter:]
You played almost all the T20 World Cups from the starting. How the game has evolved over the years? Could you share what you expect this time?
[Rohit Sharma:]
Yeah, we have seen it over the years. A lot of innovations, a lot of unexpected things people don't expect guys are doing and that's how the game has evolved. The run scoring has become a lot more frequent and guys are fearless now. They don't worry about the results so much. They just want to try and put pressure. The bowlers, the same as well. They're not afraid of taking various options when they are bowling as well.
So yeah, it's there for people to see how the game has evolved from 2007 to now.
140 - 150 was a winning score. But again, on pitches like these, I don't know what the good score is, but I'm just saying, all the tournaments that we've been watching, T20 tournaments, the average score is a lot more than what it used to be in 2007. So that's because of the innovation of the players, trying to do different things at different times, being brave, and stuff like that.
[Reporter:]
As an individual player or as maybe a captain of one of the most popular team in the world, how do you see this whole concept of bringing cricket to mainland America and cricket will be a part of LA Olympics as well? From that point of view, how hopeful, how excited are you guys to play cricket in this part of the world?
[Rohit Sharma:]
No, we are all very excited. We never thought - cricket in America will be played at any given stage, but now that we are here it's a different feeling.
From the time we arrived in New York, spending only 10 minutes at immigration, which is very rare. So, you can make out that the buzz is here, even the locals here are quite intrigued by a cricket tournament happening, a World Cup happening here. Because we go to the cafes and all. There are a lot of locals who come there and wish us the best. So, all these things, we've never experienced because we've never been here. We've been to Florida, but this is different. I'm sure all of us who are playing here will leave a mark in this city and the people of US as well.
So hopefully it's the right step in the right direction. And for the future of cricket to happen in America, I think this is the right platform and right first stepping stone for all of us, all the teams who are participating, to make sure that we leave something behind for the people of US.
[Reporter:]
Yesterday Rahul declared that it would be his last assignment as coach. You have had the best of equation with him as captain and coach. Will you say something about your association and is there anything in the team that will do it for him or something like that? Generally, it happens before the World Cup.
[Rohit Sharma:]
We have not really thought of it. But yeah, look, my equation with him goes a long way back from the time he came to do this job, actually. He was my first international captain when I made my debut in Ireland. He was my first captain, and then I've seen him play while I was just coming into the team, test matches, when he was captain. And such a big role model for all of us. Growing up, we watched him play. We know what he's achieved personally as a player and also what he's done for the team over the years, battling out the team from difficult situations. And that is what he's known for. He's shown a lot of great determination throughout his career, and that is something that, when he came here as a coach, I wanted to learn from him. It's been very fruitful, other than the big silverware I think we've won all the major tournaments and series and all of that. But yeah, having said that, I think I've enjoyed every bit of it, working with him, deciding what direction the team needs to head. And for him to buy into that thought, obviously, makes a huge difference. And he was the first one who came and said, this is what we need to do as a team. And no matter what happens, but at least we'll give it a good shot at it when he arrived.
I tried convincing him to stay, but obviously, there are a lot of things that he needs to look after as well. But yeah, I've personally enjoyed my time with him. I'm sure the rest of the guys will say the same. It's been great working with him and I hope, I'm not going to say anything, actually. I'm not going to say anything.
[Reporter:]
Rohit, just what your thoughts are on the Ireland team and whether it's, we say in English, a bit of a banana skin type of game for you.
[Rohit Sharma:]
No, not really. It's going to be a good game. They are a good team. They play a lot of T20 cricket, a lot of their players play around the world in a lot of the leagues. So yeah, it's going to be as competitive a game as we play with any other opposition. Like I said at the start, the first question, we just got to be looking at what we need to do as a team. And whatever they throw at us, we need to be ready with our answers as well.
So, it's going to be a good game. We have to be at our best to win the game. That's how T20 cricket goes. If you lose the grip, if you lose your focus, there's a good chance that you might not end up on the right side. So, for us, I think it's important that we start well, focus on what we need to do, assess the conditions, and play the game well.
[Reporter:]
Rohit, when you left the shores of India in the press conference with the chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, a question was asked, why four spinners are being taken to the Caribbean and the US. And your answer was, that is my secret. Is today the day where the magician reveals a secret?
[Rohit Sharma:]
No, it's still a secret. You'll watch it across the tournament.
[Reporter:]
That was my question too – you have thought about it and brought four spinners. But the practice match that you'll played, what was happening for the spinner? Yesterday also, Sri Lanka's batting first was a mess. The spinner played a big role in that. So, the role of the spinner, the way you bat in practice matches, it seems that in general, not only for us, the role of the spinner will be big here.
[Rohit Sharma:]
Yes, it will be there. It will definitely be there. And our two spinners are basically all-rounders. Jadeja and Axar Patel. So, if you want to make a good team balance, you need a lot of all-rounders in the team who can bat and put overs.
In fast bowling all-rounders, we have Hardik, Dubey, Jadeja. In spin we have two – Aksar and Jadeja. So how to use these four players is our focus. We have thought about it already but as the tournament progresses, different conditions come up, opposition comes up, we will accordingly use these four players. That is our focus.
We have seen the all-rounders are big factors in T20 cricket. Not just T20 cricket, but in all formats. But I think their roles will be very important because the rest of the team can only play one role, they have two roles in the team. So, I think it is important that we use these four well. As I said, I don't know if we can play all four together. If we can, that'll be good. If we cannot, even then, we have to find our way. But if you have options, it's good. If you don't have options, you won't be able to do anything. And as we saw when we played the warm-up game against Bangladesh, all three spinners bowled two overs each, but they bowled two good overs. It wasn't that easy to hit them. And in yesterday's match too, the spinners took wickets.
So, look, no one knows about these conditions, whether the spinners will take wickets or the seamers. So, we have to find the best combination. We have to see what will suit our team. How can we keep our batting line up long? How can we have more bowling options? So, keeping these two things in mind, we will think of making a combination.
[Reporter:]
During the warm up game, a fan had suddenly come on the ground. The way the security caught him, you were requesting him to take it easy. Can you tell us about the emotion at that time? And the fans who have come to America for the first time are very eager to meet you and get your attention. Obviously wherever you play for India, there is a lot of such demand. Is it a distraction? How do you handle the team?
[Rohit Sharma:]
See, first of all, I would say that no one should intrude into the ground. This is not right. And this question was also not right, because we don't want to promote this thing that who is running and coming to the ground.
I think, players' security is important, similarly, the security of the people outside is also important. We are playing cricket, yes, but the people sitting outside, it is important for them to understand that there are rules and regulations for every country. It is very important to follow them and understand them. So, that's all I can say. Now, what more can I say?
See, the rules are different in India and here. So, understand the rules, what is there and what is not. See the match, they have made such a good stadium. You can watch the match comfortably. No need to run to the ground, no need to do all this, I think.
And what was the other thing?
[Reporter:]
Is this a distraction? When such incidents happen?
[Rohit Sharma:]
No, no, it's not a distraction. Look, our focus is on some other things. We don't focus on who is running to the ground and what to do. I don't think that any player will be distracted by that. Because a lot of big things are going through their minds. How to win a match, how to make a run, how to take a wicket. I'm sure everyone is thinking about that. So, I don't think that players can be distracted by such things. So, I don't think we can distract the players.
[Reporter:]
When I do a radio show, there's a tagline of mine, Mamta, who doesn't like anything.
I just want to say that as a captain of this team, playing here in US, it's a completely different experience for you. So, what would you like to say to your fans in the US, not just NRI, but everyone who doesn't know cricket?
[Rohit Sharma:]
No, see, that's why we came here to play cricket, to promote cricket in this country. We have never played cricket in this state, we have never played an international match here, it's going to be the first time. I'm sure that, as I said, all of us cricketers here should leave something behind for the American public who live here and who like cricket. So hopefully, the kind of cricket that will be played here – hopefully the fans and others will come to watch cricket and there will be a lot more matches here in the future. That's what I think.
[Reporter:]
Did you do any preparation for the Caribbean? I'm from Barbados and I know that's where your goal is. So, did you prepare for the prospect that you might be doing the finals in Barbados?
[Rohit Sharma:]
Like I said, it's too far ahead. But we played a lot of cricket in West Indies last year as well. We played a lot of T20 cricket as well. Although we didn't win the series the last time we played in the Caribbean. But I mean, we understand the conditions there. We know what to expect from those type of conditions. We played possibly in all the venues that we're going to play during the World Cup. So, we are quite aware of the conditions. All the guys have played, maybe one or two haven't played there, but the rest of us are here to help them out as to what they need to do. But in terms of knowing the conditions, preparation, I think we should be sorted with that, because we played a lot of cricket there.
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