India’s two shining batsmen, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, have been absent from India’s T20I fixtures this year. Sharma revealed the reason behind this decision and expressed that the senior players, who are expected to be instrumental at the World Cup, are focussing on ODI cricket only this year. Explaining that they made the decision two years ago, he also reiterated that the senior players sat out the ODI games to prepare for the T20 World Cup.
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The country has big expectations, and pressure, about this World Cup. It is the first time India will be hosting a cricket World Cup on its own, and replicate the national team's success of the last time a World Cup on domestic soil. The public will also have big expectations of the Indian team and will not want to be let down. Kohli and other senior players are aware of this expectation, and to prepare for the Cup have decided to sit out the game’s shortest format fixtures.
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Sharma said, “Last year also we did the same thing - the T20 World Cup was there, so we didn't play one-day cricket. Now also we are doing the same, the ODI World Cup is there, so we are not playing T20s. You can't play everything and be ready for the World Cup. We decided this two years ago. (Ravindra) Jadeja is also not playing T20, you did not ask about him? I understand about the focus but Jadeja is also not playing.”
