ICC T20 World Cup 2022 semis, IND vs ENG: 'One knock-out game doesn't define us' - Rohit

India skipper Rohit Sharma understands the criticism about his underwhelming numbers in crunch games but would not appreciate it if he or any other player is defined by failure in an odd high-stakes match. Rohit has struggled to contribute substantially to India's total while competing in knock-out games at the ICC events over the years. He managed just 29 against Sri Lanka in the 2014 ICC T20 World Cup final and 34 against Australia in the 2015 ICC World Cup semi-final. He scored 43 against the Windies in the 2016 T20WC semi-final and could not even open his account against Pakistan in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy title clash.

Rohit's contribution was just one in the 2019 CWC semi-final against New Zealand. Rohit was not amused if such below-par performance in important matches bothered him. "Not just me, but all the players, what they've done in their entire career, one knock-out game doesn't define them," Rohit said as he geared up to lead India in the T20WC semi-final against England.

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"The entire year, you work hard to get where you want to and do well in whichever format you play. So that one particular game is not going to decide that," he insisted. Rohit has no problems being in the present but reckoned that the past should not be forgotten.

"It's important to understand that knock-out games are essential, and it gives you immense confidence if you do well. But we remember what has happened and what the players have done in the past. "All the performances that they've put in for the team over the years, that one game cannot dictate that [narrative]," Rohit added.

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Rohit's leadership philosophy when it comes to significant multi-team events is simple. The end result should be more than the sum total of its parts. "But again, it's just a phase. It's just one phase of the tournament. We know there are two crucial phases of it. You have to break it into parts. We have done one part of it well. There are two more parts to go. But tomorrow is going to be one part of it where we have to play well to get the result," he said about Thursday's semi-final and a possible final appearance.

Shorter side boundaries are a challenge
The shorter boundaries at the Adelaide Oval, barely 60 metres, are certainly a big challenge as the dimensions of the grounds Down Under change from city to city. "That's one of the challenges that we have had in this tournament. For example, last year in Dubai, the ground's dimensions mainly stayed the same. We know there was one side bigger, but other than that, only a few things changed. But, when we play here in Australia, some of the grounds have longer, straighter boundaries, and some have smaller ones on the sides. So you've got to adjust to it as quickly as possible," exemplified Rohit.

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Surya has shopping baggage but no 'pressure baggage'
The Indian captain, at times, during his interaction with the media, has been effortlessly funny. When a British journalist asked about Suryakumar Yadav's fearless approach, which has become the talk of the tournament, his deadpan expression and the answer invited chuckles in the media room.

"That's probably his nature. He's [Surya], that guy who doesn't carry any baggage. No, not his suitcase [laughter]. He's got a lot of bags, honestly speaking. He loves his shopping. But, when it comes to carrying the extra pressure and extra baggage, I don't think he has that in him. You can see that when he plays. It's not like he's played a couple of tournaments like that. He's been playing like that for a year now, and it shows, and you can judge the kind of character he is, and he likes to play like that," reckoned Rohit.

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Rohit gave an excellent insight into Surya's mindset. "Surya likes playing on the big ground. He hates playing on small grounds. He told me once he doesn't like smaller boundaries or grounds. He can't see the gaps. He wants to see significant gaps, and that's where his strength is," he recalled.

Rohit is an advocate of playing the fearless brand of cricket, but India's batting approach in Powerplays has been cautious. Asked about this, he concluded, "Looking at how the conditions are here, you don't want to come out and swing your bat. You want to understand the conditions. The ball is swinging a little more than what we have experienced in the last year."

(With inputs from PTI)