ICC World Cup 2019 | Winning the game is important no matter how many runs we score, claims Rohit Sharma

ICC World Cup 2019 | Winning the game is important no matter how many runs we score, claims Rohit Sharma

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Rohit Sharma has stated that his personal milestones will only hold any significance if the team manages to win the title because that is what he wants to help the team achieve with his runs. He also talked about his failure to capitalize on his centuries and the help he received from Yuvraj Singh.

Rohit Sharma made headlines yet again on Saturday as he scored his third century on the trot in what is turning out to be a dream World Cup campaign for him. He has eclipsed some legends of the game in claiming several World Cup records and has carried the team alone at times. However, he feels his job is far from done and his efforts would prove to be futile if the Men in Blue fail to achieve what they had set out to.

"No, not yet (biggest feat to score five hundreds). If we win the World Cup then probably I would. If not, then I can't, because eventually winning the cup - winning the game is important, no matter how many runs you score or how many wickets you take. For us, as cricketers, it's important to get the job done, because we all have been looking for this World Cup, which comes every four years," the vice-captain of the team stated.ย 

While the hundreds have seemed to come rather easily for him and the runs have been flowing, with 647 to his name already in the ongoing mega event, Rohit has struggled to put up the big scores he is known for. He holds the record for the highest ever ODI score with 264 and has an unparalleled three ODI double centuries to his name. Yet, only two of the five centuries have crossed the 120-run barrier while none have touched the 150-run mark.ย 

โ€œI was disappointed with that, the three hundred, the last three hundreds I got, I couldn't go on to bat as deep as I could. But I would take that hundred. And the only reason I say that is because eventually we won the game, except one against England which I think we came pretty close as well. We lost by 25 runs, I think.ย  But, yes, my aim and goal is always to bat as deep as I can, because after a hundred, it's your mistake that can cost you your wicket. That is what I have felt always. And, yeah, little disappointed with that, but I'll make sure if, come the semis, if I'm in that situation I wouldn't just let it go like that," explained Rohit Sharma.ย 

Coming into the tournament, he had had a decent year but not nearly as good as his World Cup form. He had scored 556 runs in 13 matches at an average of 42.77 and at a subpar strike rate of 79.32. In the World Cup, he has scored at an average of 92.43 and a strike of 98.78, while also getting many more runs in just eight innings. Sharma revealed that it was his Mumbai Indians teammate Yuvraj Singh who helped him prepare for the mega event. Yuvraj himself had had a similar form graph in 2011 when he had led his team to the World Cup and won the man of the series award too.

"I was not getting big runs. So we were just - I mean, he's like a big brother to me. So we always talk about the game, about life. So he said when it matters you will do it. I guess he was probably talking about the World Cup, I think. So IPL, we were having a good chat around the game, basically. So because he was in a similar phase in 2011 before the World Cup, was not getting enough, like, not getting enough runs. So what he told me was to just be in good space. And that's what he did, that's why he was so successful at that World Cup. So that is the chat we had," he concluded.

Rohit Sharma also took the chance to wish former India captain and legend MS Dhoni on his birthday.

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A message for Birthday Boy @mahi7781? ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜ @rohitsharma45 adds a funny twist to it ๐Ÿ˜† #TeamIndia #SLvIND #CWC19

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