India buoyant but not in Sri Lanka to ‘chill’: Rohit

AFP | Colombo

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

India is still buoyant after their T20 World Cup triumph but skipper Rohit Sharma said yesterday his men were keeping focused ahead of their next engagement with Sri Lanka. Rohit and star batsman Virat Kohli both sat out this week’s 3-0 series sweep by the tourists, both having announced their 20-over retirement after snagging India’s first international trophy in more than a decade.

Both are back on tour for the first time since the Barbados final in June, for the first of three ODIs in Colombo on Friday. “It was a great feeling,” Rohit told reporters. “We have to move on. It is time to move on now as well and think of what lies ahead of us.” “We are not here to chill in Colombo. At the end of the day, the standard of Indian cricket is more important.” Rohit said he was agonizing over the choice of wicketkeeping mainstay K.L. Rahul or Rishabh Pant, who returned to internationals for the World Cup after a horror car crash and a long injury absence. “You know the ability of both players.

They are match winners in their way,” he said. “It is nice to have problems picking teams. That means we have quality.” Injuries have bedeviled Sri Lanka, with fast bowlers Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Thushara both forced to withdraw ahead of the T20 series.