(PTI Photo)
India’s Test and ODI captain, Rohit Sharma, has refuted claims that the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka will be treated as preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. When questioned about whether these matches are a warm-up for next year’s tournament, Rohit firmly stated that they are not merely practice games and emphasized that India is focused on playing quality cricket.
The three-match ODI series between Sri Lanka and India is set to begin on July 2 (Friday), with the subsequent games scheduled for July 4 and 7. All fixtures will take place at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Rohit Sharma states that the Sri Lanka series is not being used as preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
On the eve of the first ODI, India captain Rohit Sharma addressed the media and made it clear that the team views the series against Sri Lanka as more than just practice. He emphasized that India is committed to playing high-quality cricket throughout the series, rather than treating it as a mere warm-up.
“You get asked a lot whether this series is a preparation for the World Cup, or is this a preparation for the Champions Trophy. It’s not a practice ground – it’s still an international game,” Rohit said in the press conference.
“We will keep in our minds what we want to achieve, but this is by no means preparation or practice or anything like that. We want to come here and play good cricket and get something out of the series,” Rohit said in the press conference,” he added
The 37-year-old dismissed any notion that India would approach these ODIs casually. He asserted that his team is intent on maintaining the high standard of cricket they have consistently played in recent years.
“Of course we want to try everything possible, but when you’re representing the nation, the quality of cricket should remain the way it is, and how we’ve played over the last few years. That is more important, rather than thinking about it as a preparation and saying let’s go out and chill in Colombo. We don’t think like that,” Rohit mentioned.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are back in India’s squad.
Over the past year, India has excelled across all formats of cricket, reaching three ICC finals. While they fell short in two of these finals, they clinched the T20 World Cup in June 2024. Rohit Sharma played a pivotal role in that victory, finishing as India’s highest run-scorer and the second-highest overall in the tournament.
Joining Rohit Sharma in the ODI series against Sri Lanka will be Virat Kohli. This series marks their return to India colors following their historic T20 World Cup 2024 final triumph over South Africa.
In their recent T20I series against Sri Lanka, India emerged victorious with a commanding 3-0 win. While the first two T20Is were straightforward victories, the final match required a Super Over after a tie. The world champions displayed their composure under pressure to secure the win.
