Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli make their return for India in the first one-day international of the three-match series against Soith Africa at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Sunday.
Ahead of the ODI, Rohit and Virat opened up on their drive, intent, and enduring commitment to the game.
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In a video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Rohit andn Virat spoke on their mindset of ‘keep getting better’.
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Rohit about what continues to push him even after so many years at the highest level.
“Drive and willingness are not just now; it is every time you represent your country. It does not matter if you are 38 or 28,” Rohit said.
“ODI is a mixture of Test and T20I together. So you have to be skilful enough to go out there and handle both skill sets. Especially for me because I open the batting. When the ball is hard and new, it swings. So you need to bring your Test mindset there and leave as much as you can, play close to your body,” he added.
Rohit also said that his motivation has not changed.
“I started playing at 20. My drive is similar to what it is now. The mindset to give your best, give all that you have, has remained the same,” he said.
“I look at every game as making my debut. That is how I train myself,” Rohit added.
Virat Kohli echoed Rohit’s hunger and commitment.
“I’m very sure that if I make myself available, then I have to give my 100%. I’ve never played any series, even at 95% capacity. I’m still enjoying my cricket, I’m excited to play any kind of cricket, that’s the place I’m in right now,” Kohli said.
“Experience is an accumulation of being present and aware in situations you have been a part of, and having all those memories stored up so that you can utilise those experiences when those situations come again. The will to work and commitment to put in work is as high as it has ever been,” he added.
Records Rohit And Kohli Can Break?
Kohli holds the record for the most ODI centuries in India with 24, while Rohit has 14. The duo last appeared in an ODI in Australia in October, where Rohit scored an unbeaten, match-winning 121, and Kohli added a smooth, unbeaten 74, combining for a 168-run partnership. Both veterans now feature exclusively in ODI cricket, having stepped away from Tests and T20Is. Ahead of the ODI series opener in Ranchi, both Kohli and Rohit are on the verge of breaking historic records. Rohit, the current number-one-ranked ODI batter, is close to becoming only the fourth Indian batter to reach 20,000 runs, with 19,902 international runs in 502 matches. He has 4,301 runs in 67 Tests, 4,231 runs in T20Is, and 11,370 runs in ODIs. He needs only 98 more runs to join an elite 20,000-run club that includes Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and Rahul Dravid.
Meanwhile, Kohli is just one century away from holding the record for the most hundreds by a batter in a single format. He currently has 51 centuries, tied with Sachin Tendulkar. Remarkably, only Kohli and Tendulkar have reached the milestone of 50 or more centuries in a single format.
(With inputs from Agencies)
