Colombo, August 8 (IANS): After India’s 2-0 ODI series loss to Sri Lanka, skipper Rohit Sharma said he has no intention of losing wickets in the Power-play overs and his plan is to score as many runs as possible.

Rohit was India’s best batsman in the series, scoring 157 runs in three matches at a strike rate of 141.44, including two half-centuries, and continued to play an attacking Power-play innings. However, he did not allow India to win the series, as other batsmen succumbed to the Sri Lankan spinners.

“I knew that runs would be critical during the power-play. I knew that after that the wickets would slow down a little, the ball would turn a little and the pitch would be evenly spread. With only two fielders outside the ring, we had to take our chances.”

“Anytime I felt I could put the bowler under pressure, I took those chances. Any runs you score on top of that will help the team play the remaining 40 overs. My personal effort was to make sure I scored as many runs as I could.”

“I didn’t want to take the wicket after the power-play. I wanted to keep the momentum and intent going, but unfortunately I got bowled while trying to play a few overs. My batting plan is pretty simple and straightforward,” Rohit told reporters at the end of the tour.

India have taken a 42-day break from international cricket and will return to action next season with a two-match Test series against Bangladesh in Chennai on September 19 at home.

The 2024/25 Indian domestic season will begin with the Duleep Trophy on September 5, while some teams will begin their red-ball preparations with the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament in Tamil Nadu this month.

“Our aim has always been to get the guys who are available to go and play the Ranji Trophy. Our domestic cricket is the backbone of our international cricket. Most of the guys who are representing the country now have grown up playing domestic cricket. So, our domestic cricket is very important for everyone.”

“We want to ensure that it remains that way, that it remains competitive. We only get players from our own region, not so much from the IPL. When you play Test cricket, when you select players for Test cricket and ODI cricket, most of the discussions are about who has performed well in the Ranji Trophy, the one-day format, Syed Mushtaq Ali and things like that.”

“IPL, of course, is a format where the challenges are different. Different teams and different players are playing and again it’s a high-pressure situation for a lot of guys. So it’s a combination of both. Honestly, you have to look at IPL as our cricket. So at the end of the day, whoever performs well in all these tournaments will eventually get picked,” Rohit concluded.