India vs Sri Lanka | T20 cricket is like English Premier League, says Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma has compared T20 cricket to English Premier League, highlighting its uncertainty in the outcome regardless of the strength of the teams on paper. Shooting down claims that repetitive competition with Sri Lanka can be an overkill, he stressed on the importance of testing bench strength.
Despite India being the clear favourites in the Nidahas Trophy, which includes Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, deputy skipper Rohit Sharma has stated that T20 cricket’s unpredictability could very well see the results going south for the Men in Blue any time.Â
"T20 is such a format where any team can win on that particular day. The game can change in a span of one over, it can slip away. On a given day, any team can beat anyone. How do I explain it? It's like the English Premier League. Some teams may be stronger, but anyone can win on a given day,” said Rohit ahead of the 1st T20I on Tuesday, reported PTI.
Playing against Sri Lanka has now become a routine for India, as this is the third time they will face their neighbours in six months. It has led many to claim that the repeated series between the sides has led to cricket overkill, with no excitement left whatsoever. Rohit, however, didn’t agree with it and instead wanted to focus on experimenting with the new team in hand.
“It’s always important to know your bench strength. We’re lucky that we have got quality players who are waiting to do well. They have been consistently performing in A tours, Ranji Trophy, IPL cricket. It's the right time to blood them. We want to see how they play here and not rush them in ICC tournaments directly (as) we don't want them to be taken by surprise. We want to see where they stand as individuals," said Rohit.Â
BCCI’s decision to send a second string side on the eve of Indian Premier League has led many to frown upon the call. The Indian side will be without the likes of Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Kuldeep Yadav. Sri Lanka coach Chandika Hathurasinghe, though stating India’s second-string as the favourites in the series, has also expressed his disappointment at BCCI’s selection.
"If you go by the ratings, India is the No. 1 team, so they always start ahead of the other teams. Whoever comes
“We can't control their selection. We are playing the India team so whoever they play on that day we prepare for them. If the stars are there it’s good for the spectators, but unfortunately at this stage, they've come with a different team," he said. Â