IND vs AUS: "Rohit Sharma Is Immune To That Kind Of Pressure" - Mahela Jayawardene

Former Sri Lanka cricketer Mahela Jayawardene believes that Rohit Sharma has the ability to handle the pressure of leading India in the ICC World Cup 2023. Mahela Jayawardene expected Rohit Sharma to approach the marquee tournament with a positive mindset.

The Men in Blue last won the ICC trophy back in 2013, when they beat England in the Champions Trophy final. The Indian team failed to clinch the title despite coming close on multiple occasions. They suffered a semi-final exit during the last ODI World Cup in England.

Rohit Sharma Is A Straightforward Character – Mahela Jayawardene

During an interview with Revsportz on the Backstage With Boria show, Mahela Jayawardene acknowledged the pressure of leading India but expressed confidence that Rohit Sharma is unlikely to be overwhelmed by it.

“I think he’s going to deal with it just fine. I mean, Rohit is a straightforward character. I mean, the Rohit that I’ve known at Mumbai is immune to that kind of pressure.

“He just goes about doing what he thinks is best. And I don’t see him taking any other approach. Whenever you play for India, that pressure is always going to be there,” Jayawardene told RevSportz.

“They have a very good competitive unit if everyone stays healthy. And he’s going to approach it with a very positive mindset. I honestly don’t think that he will feel that pressure. I mean, if you see him handling press conferences and all that, he’s quite a chill character.”

India To Kick Off Their Campaign On October 8

Rohit Sharma is leading the Indian cricket team in the ongoing ODI World Cup at home. The right-handed batter wasn’t part of India’s winning campaign in 2011. He represented the national cricket team in the next editions of the World Cups in the 50-over format.

The Rohit Sharma-led team kicked off their campaign against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on October 8. They will then play against Afghanistan before the high-octane match against Pakistan, which is set to be played on October 14.

India World Cup Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav

Also read: ICC World Cup 2023: Watch: Rohit Sharma Tries To Control His Laughter At Babar Azam’s English During Captains’ Day Event