Whether ODIs Or IPL, Basics Of Captaincy Remain Same: Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma will lead the Indian side in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, starting December 10 in absence of regular captain Virat Kohli, who has been rested for the upcoming limited overs and T20I series. While Rohit has been a very succesful captain in the Indian Premier League (IPL) playing for Mumbai Indians but captaining India will be a different ball game and Rohit is well aware of that fact but the Mumbai batsman firmly insists that "basics of captaincy remain same" when one shifts from franchise to international cricket. Rohit has led Mumbai Indians to IPL triumph in 2013, 2015 and 2017 and for the first time would be leading the national team in the upcoming limited overs series against Sri Lanka.

Asked how different it will be from leading Mumbai Indians, Rohit said," It will be completely a different ball game all together but the process and basics of captaincy will remain the same."

"We have a different set of players than the IPL team but having played with these guys for some time now, I do understand their strengths and weaknesses. It will be all about going there and executing and making everyone comfortable," Rohit added.

By his own admission, Rohit won't change the template of his captaincy which has got him success over the years in IPL.

"I don't need to change anything. I just need to carry from where we left as a team and yes IPL and international cricket is completely different --- the pressure and mindset of the players is absolutely different. I myself will not change much. I will try to be at the present and make those changes when necessary," the stand-in captain said.

Rohit has made a successful return to Test cricket with a century in Nagpur in the second Test and twin 50's in the final Test at the Feroz Shah Kotla.

"It was important to be ready for an opportunity because in the last few years, the combinations that we were playing with allowed the captain to go with five bowlers at times. So it was important to be ready and I wanted to prepare myself in a manner that I can get a game anytime. I am happy the way the Test went in Nagpur. I want to continue and don't want to put pressure on myself and enjoy the game."

The stylish Mumbaikar said he wants to stay in the present and focus on the "little things", which will eventually make a big difference.

"I believe every new series is different and it will bring different challenges and we got to do what we do as a team. We need to concentrate on basics and little things which eventually add up to bigger things. The idea will be the same. I have seen if we do that we get the result," he said.

The new skipper is also keen to find out how some of the younger members wriggle out of difficult situations.

"We will be put to different situations and it will be important how we react to those. In Sri Lanka, we were put under pressure in few situations and we came out of it really well, we showed a lot of character," he said.

"Here at times, we will be put under pressure and we have guys to stand up and respond to those situation. We are not thinking that we have beat them in the last series, we have to focus from first ball to the last," he added.

(With PTI Inputs)