'Chilled' India not worried about Asia Cup defeats: Rohit Sharma

07.09.2022 - 06:55 timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Rohit Sharma played down concerns about India's form ahead of next month's T20 World Cup after successive Asia Cup defeats, insisting the dressing room atmosphere remained "relaxed and chilled".

India lost their second Asia Cup Super Four match to Sri Lanka with a ball remaining in Dubai on Tuesday to leave their dwindling final hopes at the mercy of other results. "You don't worry if you lose two matches," Rohit, who smashed a 41-ball 72 in India's 173-8, told reporters. "We don't talk like this in the dressing room, because we have played so many matches after the (last) World Cup and won.

I don't think it's a cause of worry." Read AlsoIndia vs Sri Lanka Highlights: India all but out of Asia Cup after Sri Lanka outsmart Rohit Sharma’s men in another thrillerDefending champions India went perilously close to elimination after a 6-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka in their super four stage match of the Asia Cup.

The result left the Men in Blue at the mercy of the other teams to have a chance of making it to the final. It also meant that India skipper Rohit If fierce rivals Pakistan -- who similarly overhauled India with a ball to spare on Sunday -- beat Afghanistan on Wednesday, they will knock India out and go on to face Sri Lanka in Sunday's final. "There is no gadbad (Hindi for disarray)," said Rohit. "From the outside it looks gadbad but we have no such feeling.

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Rohit Sharma wants to give wicketkeeper batter Dinesh Karthik more time in the middle before the team heads Down Under for the T20 World Cup next month. The team has been alternating between Karthik and Rishabh Pant in their playing XI. While the young keeper was given the nod ahead of the veteran player in the Asia Cup, Karthik was picked for all three matches against Australia. “I wanted both of these guys to have a number of games under their belt before the World Cup. When we went to the Asia Cup both of these guys were in the fray to play all games," Rohit said at the post-match press conference after India clinched the three-match series against Australia on Sunday. “But I just feel that Dinesh needs a little more game time. He hardly got to bat (this series). Just maybe three balls. So that's not enough time,” Rohit added.

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