'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Rohit Sharma has advised Team India newcomers Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan to play freely in their debut series against England and not put too much pressure on themselves.
The 33-year-old, who is also the captain of Mumbai Indians, has seen both Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan grow in stature in the T20 game. Rohit Sharma has played a huge role in the two players coming of age and has backed them to deliver under pressure.
In a press conference before the start of the five-match T20I series against England in Ahmedabad, Rohit Sharma is excited to see his Mumbai Indians teammates making their debuts in the India blue.
"I don't want them (Surya and Ishan) to be thinking about anything. That's how they bring their best performance sout. Watching them closely for a few years now, I have realised it is important for them to come and be a part of this wonderful team. I just want them to have fun and understand what this team has been all about," Rohit Sharma said.
"It is not going to be easy here; they will get challenged" - Rohit Sharma
Both Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan have been sensational for the Mumbai Indians in the past three years, playing key roles in their back-to-back title wins. Their biggest strength has been their versatility; be it opening or batting in the middle order, the duo has made things look easy and has adjusted seamlessly.
Suryakumar Yadav has a stupendous 1416 runs in the IPL in the past three seasons, while Ishan Kishan's breakout IPL 2020 season saw him score an incredible 516 runs. However, Rohit Sharma believes international cricket will bring entirely new challenges for the duo.
"Keeping in mind that this is their first time in the squad, they will be a bit nervous about performances. These guys have done really well in the last few years, especially last year. It is not going to be easy here; they will get challenged. But how they respond to those challenges will be crucial," Rohit Sharma observed.
With Sanju Samson and Manish Pandey getting dropped from the T20 team, Suryakumar Yadav, in all likelihood, could debut in the middle order. Ishan Kishan, however, might have to wait for his debut outing as Rishabh Pant's excellent recent form gives him the edge.
With the T20 World Cup only a few months away, the likes of Kishan and Yadav will look to capitalise on their opportunities and keep themselves in the reckoning for the world tournament this year.
