Asia Cup 2022: We do not want to hype India vs Pakistan game within the team, says Rohit Sharma

India are set to face arch-rivals Pakistan in their Asia Cup 2022 campaign opener on 28 August, and while there's a lot of buzz around the upcoming match, captain Rohit Sharma feels that the Pakistan encounter is "just a game of cricket".

Speaking on the upcoming match, Rohit added that the team wants to keep the focus on the game and not the opposition.

"Obviously, it is a very exciting game. Everyone watches the game, especially India-Pakistan. It is a high-pressure game without a doubt, I think within the group, we want to create quite a normal atmosphere. We do not want to hype this game too much within ourselves. Let people outside hype the game, that’s their job to do it but for us, it is just a game of cricket and a battle between bat and ball which we have to dominate,” Rohit said on Star Sports’ show ‘Follow The Blues’.

#GreatestRivalry is right around the corner!#BelieveInBlue #INDvPAK #TeamIndia #AsiaCup2022 | Aug 28, 6 PM | Star Sports & Disney+Hotstar pic.twitter.com/EaII39kKj1

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) August 18, 2022

“I think the guys who have not played against them or have played 1-2 games against them, for them also, for us, me and Rahul bhai, it is important for us to talk to these guys and let them know it is just another opposition we will be playing. For us, it will be like any other India-Pakistan game we play, we have to focus on the game and what we need to do as individuals.”

Also Read: Shaheen Afridi missing Asia Cup a big relief for Indian batters, says Waqar

India last played Pakistan in the 2021 T20 World Cup where they suffered a 10-wicket loss. It was also India's first defeat to Pakistan in a World Cup match. While Virat Kohli was the India captain last year, Rohit has now taken over the role.

Rohit also spoke about his role as a captain which he feels is to understand what his players need when they are struggling for form.

"Obviously, for me it's just to quickly adapt to certain individuals and then understand what they need, what are their strong points, where they are weak," he said.

"Try and you know give them feedback and work with them; be very specific in what the team is expecting from that individual.

"That is where the individual can blossom because when we give them the clarity of what the team is expecting from you, he will be able to work towards that direction and he can work on his game in many ways and then improve his game as well."

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