Why Rohit Sharma Came Out To Bat At No. 7? Skipper Explains Selfless Reason

The Indian cricket team chased down the target of 115 runs in just 22.5 overs, completing a resounding victory over West Indies in the first ODI on Thursday. Although not the smoothest of victories, the match allowed skipper Rohit Sharma to shuffle his batting order to a large extent, so much so that Virat Kohli didn't even get to bat even though India lost 5 wickets in the chase. At the post-match presentation ceremony, Rohit explained the reason behind such a change in the batting order.

With the ODI World Cup roughly two months away, every 50-over contest is an opportunity for the Indian team to try new things. Seeing West Indies only put 114 runs on the board, thanks to Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja's show with the ball, Rohit decided to give the fringe players a go.

"I never thought the pitch would play like that, it was the team's need to bowl first and have a score. The pitch had everything for the seamers and spinners, our guys did well to restrict them to that score. We wanted to give game time to the ODI guys who have come in, we will keep trying those things whenever possible. To restrict them to 115, we knew we could try these guys and give them a go. I don't think they'll get many chances like this," said the India skipper.

Rohit himself came out to bat at the No. 7 spot and remained unbeaten as the team chased down the target. The batting position, incidentally, was the same in which Rohit had made his debut for India.

"I made my debut for India and was batting at number 7, reminded me of those days," he asserted.

With two more matches to go in the series, Rohit might continue to give such opportunities to lesser-experienced players.