India's near-perfect beginning to the T20 World Cup 2024 hit a snag on Wednesday when skipper Rohit Sharma retired hurt with a shoulder injury, putting his availability for the upcoming high-stakes clash against Pakistan in doubt.
Sharma, who sustained a blow to his shoulder during the match against Ireland, attempted to play a delivery from Joshua Little in the 9th over but was caught off-guard by the uneven bounce on the New York track. Despite an unsuccessful review by Ireland, Sharma continued to bat briefly before walking off in the 10th over. He was replaced by Suryakumar Yadav.
Rohit Sharma leaves the field after the injury:
In the post-match press conference, Sharma downplayed concerns about his injury, describing his shoulder as "just a little sore." He expressed optimism about being fit to lead the team against Pakistan on Sunday, hinting at his readiness to play.
"Yeah, just a little sore (the arm). I said it at the toss as well. Quite unsure of what to expect from the pitch. Not aware on what it is to play like on a pitch that's five months old," he said.
"I don't think the wicket settled down even when we batted second. There was enough for the bowlers. That's pretty much what you gotta do. Try to hit those lengths consistently. All these guys have played a lot of Test cricket. Arshdeep is the only guy who hasn't. His two wickets upfront set the tone for us," he added.
Read Also | Rohit Sharma Makes THESE Three Major Records During IND vs IRE T20 World Cup 2024 Opener
"Don't think we can play four spinners here (laughs). When we picked the team, we wanted to have the balance. If conditions are there for seamers, we wanted to have that. Spin will play a part later on. Today was a four-seamer pitch and we still managed to get two spinners who are allrounders. I don't know what to expect from the pitch to be honest," he further added.
India and Pakistan are set to face off in what promises to be a thrilling encounter at New York on June 9.
Rohit Sharma signed off by talking about the India vs Pakistan clash. He said they will prepare for the blockbuster game according to the conditions. "We will prepare as if the conditions are going to be like this for the Pakistan game," Rohit Sharma said. "This is going to be the kind of game where all eleven of us will need to contribute. It was scratchy, but good to spend some time in the middle and understand what kind of shots to play there."
The Indian captain had been in impressive form, scoring an unbeaten 52 off 37 balls as India comfortably chased down Ireland's target of 97 runs with 46 balls to spare, securing an eight-wicket victory.
