India captain Rohit Sharma has vowed to do his best to power India to glory in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy. The much-awaited marquee event will be played from February 19.
With just a month left for the start of the Champions Trophy, Rohit Sharma was asked about the competition when he was speaking at an event celebrating 50 years of the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Last year, Rohit Sharma ended the Indian team’s long wait for an ICC trophy by leading the team to triumph in the T20 World Cup. The right-handed batsman led the team from the start, finishing the competition as the second highest run-scorer behind Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
Earlier in 2023, the Mumbai legend also led the Indian team to the ODI World Cup final, becoming only the fourth Indian captain to achieve the milestone. Although he failed to lead the team to victory in the 50-over World Cup, he is now eyeing glory in the tournament which is also called the mini World Cup.
“We will do our best. It is always a dream to represent the Indian team in any ICC trophy. We will embark on another dream. I am sure when we reach Dubai, 140 million people will be behind us. We will try to do everything we can to bring the trophy back to the Wankhede again,” said Rohit Sharma.
Rohit Sharma on playing at the Wankhede Stadium:
Rohit Sharma also spoke about fond memories of playing at the Wankhede, his home ground. He recalled watching the Mumbai Ranji team at the famous stadium when he was a 14-year-old cricketer. The India captain had words of praise for the fans as well, saying the crowd at the Wankhede Stadium ‘does not disappoint’.
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“The crowd here doesn’t disappoint, no matter which team you play for, India, Mumbai or Mumbai Indians. When we won the T20 World Cup in 2007 and celebrated it here, that day I dreamed of bringing the World Cup trophy to the Wankhede. Luckily I was celebrating the victory at 2024 T20 World Cup in Mumbai and Wankhede.
“The atmosphere here is different. Even non-Mumbai players really like to come here and play. The stands were full when we celebrated and they are full now. This is the specialty of Wankhede,” said Rohit Sharma.
Meanwhile, Team India is in Pool A for the upcoming Champions Trophy. The other teams in the group are defending champions Pakistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand. Team India will play all their matches in the UAE.
The men in blue will begin their campaign against Bangladesh on February 20. Their last league game will be against New Zealand on March 2. The first two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.
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