Here to score runs and lift the World Cup: Full text of Rohit’s presser after India’s win over SL

Rohit Sharma is in the form of his life. The opener smashed his fifth century at the ongoing World Cup on Saturday that saw the Men in Blue beat Sri Lanka comfortably by seven wickets in Headingley.

Rohit, who is the leading run-getter at the ongoing tournament stated that these personal milestones won’t matter to him if India fail to win the World Cup in a weeks time.

Here’s the full transcript from his post-match press conference:

You were 26 runs away from the Sachin Tendulkar’s total record. But you have mentioned that you’re not bothering or you are not looking up to the records and all these things. These things, the five centuries and 26 runs away from Tendulkar’s record, you have not paid any attention at all?

ROHIT SHARMA: 26, I don’t know, what?

His total runs in one World Cup in 2003.

ROHIT SHARMA: Oh, okay. No, no, see, I’m not here for records. I’m here to play cricket. I’m here to play and score runs and lift the cup. That is what I’m here for. I’m not looking at all those things at all, honestly.

2011, you were not there in the World Cup when we won the cup. Do you think that is also motivating you?

ROHIT SHARMA: It’s been eight years now. I’m moved past that. It was disappointing in 2011, but it’s been eight years now since that has happened. So I’m very fortunate that I’m in this position right now. So, yeah, I’m not thinking about what has happened in the past. I’ve been telling, at the post match as well, I just want to stay in present because we are here for a mission and that mission is not yet completed.

Yuvraj Singh had said that before the Indian Premier League you met him and you apparently told him runs are not coming; I’m striking but it’s not coming. And he told you that, Rohit, don’t worry. So what was that phase you were going through? And apart from that chat, anything that stands out? Apparently you told Yuvraj that the cycle of runs were not coming..

ROHIT SHARMA: (Not in English). I was not getting big runs. So we were just – I mean, he’s like a big brother to me. So we always talk about the game, about life. So he said when it matters you will do it. I guess probably he was talking about the World Cup, I think. So IPL, we were having a good chat around the game, basically. So because he was in a similar phase in 2011 before the World Cup, was not getting enough, like, not getting enough runs. So what he told me was to just be in good space. And that’s what he did, that’s why he was so successful at that World Cup. So that is the chat we had.

The post-match presentation you were saying that you set off thinking that you’ve not played any One-Day Internationals. You’ve not got any centuries. How hard is it to do? It’s easier said than done. How difficult is it?

ROHIT SHARMA: It is very difficult. Trust me because you’re in that fraternity where you meet so many people. They will talk about how well you’re batting, how many runs you’re getting, how many hundreds you’ve scored. But to just keep away from all that is very important. And I’m trying to do that.

Fortunate that we have a bunch of guys around us who do not discuss these kind of things too much, about personal milestones. And my family is here to distract me from that. So those are the things that are keeping me away from staying in the past, because I think – and I totally believe that staying in the past is not so important than staying in the present. So I’m trying to do that.

That’s what I meant when I said that in the post match, that I don’t want to think about how many ODI’s I’ve played or how many runs I’ve scored or how many hundreds I’ve got. I just want to stay in present, which is today, and take it from there, because every day in cricket is fresh, because you kind of don’t want to remember what has happened in the past. The past is for you guys to talk about and make things a little interesting. But for us it’s just staying in the present because it’s our duty, it’s our job just to come out fresh and get the job done again on the first day.

So, you’re not checking your in-boxes?

ROHIT SHARMA: Not really. Like, WhatsApp messages I will because of my family members and close friends, I do that. But not on the game, the next day, when I’m traveling on the bus.

Distractions, like Virat has also said, you’ve also said that it doesn’t matter what’s said outside, it’s what in the changing room and what you people think. But do you think sometimes maybe – what do you tell people who might get agitated by what’s being said outside and they might react? Ravindra – I’m not taking his name – like what is your advice (laughter).

ROHIT SHARMA: Not taking his name – you are using his name.

It’s not direct – what do you say, they might get – someone might get affected, might get hurt?

ROHIT SHARMA: See, that’s the challenge for the sportsman. All this distraction will happen, but every individual is different, and it depends on how he wants to think about that particular incident or situation. For me, like I said just now, I want to stay away from all of that and enjoy the beautiful weather in England. I have my family here as well.

So I’m trying to do, most of the time I’m trying to do that rather than all those talks going around and things like that. Because as long as you’re playing that will happen. And we have to have a logistic manager because a lot of people are staying in the same hotel as us who want us to win the World Cup, who want us to score runs, score centuries. So you kind of want to stay away from all of that because eventually our job is to do that, our job is to come here, play good cricket and win the World Cup, we all know that. But constantly yapping in anyone’s ear is not right. So I think for us as cricketers, it’s important for us to just stay completely put that away and focus on the job at hand.

Is this the biggest highlight of your career, five hundreds in the World Cup? And you also achieved several in One-Day cricket – double hundreds, you scored a few times. So would you rate this feat of five hundreds as the biggest of your career?

ROHIT SHARMA: No, not yet. If we win the World Cup then probably I would. If not, then I can’t, because eventually winning the World Cup – winning the game is important, no matter how many runs you score or how many wickets you take. For us, as cricketers, it’s important to get the job done, because we all have been looking for this World Cup, which comes four years. You have to wait four years for this. Eventually the job for us is to go and win the finals, the semi-finals before that, yes. But as long as that is not accomplished, no matter how many runs you score in the tournament or how many hundreds you get, you won’t feel satisfied.

From the context of going into the semi-final, how significant was it to chase and win? You haven’t won chasing since the South Africa game. How significant was it, the chase and the manner in which you chased it down?

ROHIT SHARMA: I think it was important because we want to cover all our bases, tick all the boxes before the semis came. Basically it’s a knockout for us, so we wouldn’t be able to afford mistakes on that particular day, a lot of mistakes. So ticking boxes was very, very important. I think we batted well when we were put in. We scored a good amount of runs. Yes, after that South Africa game, this was a second chase we were in. So we wanted to make sure that we do it nice and clean. And, yes, so before the semi-final comes, we wanted to make sure that the boxes are ticked and we’re good to go for the semis.

You’re known to score big daddy hundreds in ODIs. But in these five hundreds – after initially scoring a hundred, you had a soft dismissal and you could see the frustration in you. Does it worry you at any level?

ROHIT SHARMA: No, not at all. Personally I was disappointed because after a hundred, I’ve said it many times, you can’t – bowlers can really get you out; it’s your mistake that can cost you your wicket at that point. So I was disappointed with that, the three hundred, the last three hundreds I got, I couldn’t go on to bat as deep as I could. But I would take that hundred.

And the only reason I say that is because eventually we won the game, except one against England which I think we came pretty close as well. We lost by 25 runs, I think. But, yes, my aim and goal is always to bat as deep as I can, because after a hundred, it’s your mistake that can cost you your wicket. That is what I have felt always. And, yeah, little disappointed with that, but I’ll make sure if, come the semis, if I’m in that situation I wouldn’t just let it go like that.

I know you say that you live in the present, but when the World Cup started, basically what did you tell yourself about approaching this? How do you approach it? What was it that you told yourself before starting off the campaign?

ROHIT SHARMA: I just wanted to be in good space before the start of the World Cup. And I think which I was in, because this year’s World Cup was, we all know, it was a different format, 11 games before – 10 games before you play the finals. So it’s a long tournament, a long format. And then the conditions here really matter a lot.

So all those things put together, I personally wanted to be in good space, which I think I did pretty well. As soon as the game got away, I left everything behind and started focusing on the new day, which I think really helped me moving forward. And it did work here, but I don’t know if it’s going to work in the future as well, because every tournament is different. Every series you play is different. But here it is working for me. And that is what I was thinking before the start of the tournament, that I’ll try and be in good space, good space is by doing so many things. That is very personal. So I tried doing all of those things, which I think help and worked for me.