Team India aims to win at least 2 out of next 3 World Cups: Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma also lauded youngster Shubman Gill and termed him as the future star of the side

India cricket team’s limited overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma wants his side to win at least two out of the next three World Cups, praising the management for giving young players enough chances to prove themselves.
 
Rohit spoke his mind in an Instagram live session with former India spinner Harbhajan Singh.
 
"My personal aim is that we as a team should be able to win at least two World Cups out of three coming up," he said referring to the T20 World Cup in 2020 and 2021 and 50-over World Cup in 2023.
 
India have not won a global event since the 2013 Champions Trophy. Rohit had hit a record five hundreds in the 2019 World Cup but India could not go beyond the semifinals. 

"Probably, if we did not lose wickets in the that opening half hour (against New Zealand), we could have won the game. Those 10 overs were really important," said Rohit, recalling India's batting collapse in the all-important semifinals.
 
In the recent past, India have tried many players in the middle-order but that department still looks unsettled, though Shreyas Iyer has emerged as a solid number four.
 
"We keep talking about backing players in the team so that they can cement their places. There is a lot of pressure on captain and coach to pick the players and back them.


 
"It is important to give them enough chances. We have heard about how dada (Sourav Ganguly) backed you (Harbhajan) and Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh). How they backed you and then you delivered. Same way we should do it, the process is on. Whoever is being backed at the moment will get adequate chances." 

Rohit recollected the time when he got into the Indian team and said when you don't get a consistent run, the player's confidence is hit. It happened with me also. It depends on the individual how he utilises that opportunity. 

"We should back the players till the time you are absolutely sure that he is not in the scheme of things in the long run", he added. 
 

Whenever Gill gets a consistent run, he will get confidence, says Rohit Sharma. File Photo: PTI

Rohit reckons Shubman Gill as a future of Indian cricket
 
The India's limited over captain also lauded youngster Shubman Gill and termed him as the future star of the side.
 
The 20-year-old batsman was picked for the New Zealand tour where he featured in the two ODIs. According to Rohit, the right-handed batter has a lot of potentials to establish himself in the national side.
 
"I think Shubman is a fluent batsman. He is a future of Indian cricket. Whenever he gets a consistent run, he will get confidence. He has a good domestic record. I think we should look to bring him into the side. There is a lot of competition in the side," Rohit said during an Instagram Live session with spinner Harbhajan Singh.
 

Harbhajan also stated that Gill was to be picked in the Test series against New Zealand in the absence of injured Rohit. 

"We lost in New Zealand. Prithvi Shaw made a comeback. He was out of the side, but you guys backed him. I think someone like Shubman Gill should have been given a chance in the New Zealand Test series. If Rohit was injured, I think Shubman should have played because he was there in the squad," said Harbhajan.
 
The veteran spinner heaped praises on middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, who has been performing well for the team after getting regular opportunities in the side.
 
The player was in great touch in the ODI series against New Zealand and amassed one century and two fifties in three games. Similarly, Rahul also had an exceptional form in the tour as he scored three half-centuries and a ton in the eight limited-overs games.
 
"Shreyas Iyer played two matches, but then he was dropped when he was given regular chances and the results are there in front of us. It is good to see someone being regular chances in the side, Shreyas was the player of the New Zealand tour for me, KL is also batting beautifully, apart from Virat and Rohit, KL Rahul is the strongest contender of being the match-winner," Harbhajan said.