Asia Cup 2022: Rohit Sharma hopes dew doesn’t play a big role against Pakistan

India captain Rohit Sharma hopes dew doesn’t play a big role in his team’s Asia Cup 2022 opener against Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

India captain Rohit Sharma also remained non-commital on the makeup of his playing XI against Pakistan on Sunday.  | Photo Credit: Anjum Naveed

India captain Rohit Sharma hopes dew doesn’t play a big role in his team’s Asia Cup 2022 opener against Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. In floodlit games in the UAE, the dew tends to make the ball harder to grip for the defending team’s bowlers, as was evident during last year’s T20 World Cup.

“When we went to the ground yesterday (Saturday), we spoke to the curator about the dew factor. So far, we’ve heard there hasn’t been any dew. Luckily, we will play tomorrow (Sunday), so we will watch the Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan game to get a better idea about the conditions,” Rohit said on the eve of the second India-Pakistan clash in less than a year.

At the last T20 World Cup, of the 33 games played from the Super 12 stage onwards, 22 were won by the team batting second. And 12 of the 13 contests played in Dubai had been won by the team chasing.

“We’ll be in touch with the groundsman as well. That said, dew or no dew, we’ve played enough cricket in this part of the world to understand what we need to do as a group and individuals,” Rohit added.

Meanwhile, Rohit remained non-commital on the makeup of his playing XI. He weighed in on the absence of star pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Shah Afridi, both forced out of the Asia Cup with injuries. “In their absence, the quality will be missing for both teams. That said, I believe the other boys, for both teams, will get a chance to prove their mettle, I hope they make the most of it.”