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"At The Top", Rohit Sharma Opens Up On Importance Of ODI World Cup Ahead Of Semis

OneCricket

image-loydljdhRohit Sharma in action [AP]

Indian captain Rohit Sharma will lead his team into the pivotal ICC Mens ODI Cricket World Cup semifinals. The host nation will clash with New Zealand in the first round of knockout stages on Wednesday at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

The preparations for the big matchup are all done, and both sides' captains turned up for a formal pre-game press conference ahead of the game.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma reviewed India's campaign and called it "fantastic." India secured an exceptional 9-0 win record to top the points table at the conclusion of the group stages. 

He was further asked to weigh his thoughts on the importance and relevance of the ODI World Cup in modern-age cricket. Rohit said the ODI World Cup tops his list of major cricket tournaments to be held globally. 

The Indian skipper rectified this, stating that each format matters equally to him as he gets an opportunity to represent his nation. That is a rare thing to achieve and a matter of absolute honour. 

Sharma also opined that the beauty of such tournaments is they provide every team with an equal platform to compete and put their talent on display. Rohit further cited the example of the ongoing World Cup, wherein any team seemed capable of defeating any big nation on a given day.

"For me, the ODI World Cup is at the top. All three formats are equally important because you are playing for your country, which is rare. Even this tournament has been fantastic. A lot of teams have challenged the bigger teams...so any team can beat anyone. Every team is capable," Sharma said.

The relevance of the ODI World Cup has been a topic of discussion for a while. Many feel the charm of the ODI format is lost and should be scrapped to infuse increased numbers of T20 internationals.

Even then, Rohit Sharma shared his views and said that playing cricket at the highest level is an honour in itself, and one should feel proud of being given the opportunity to wear their national colours. The debate of which format is better than the other is irrelevant and unnecessary.