Rohit Sharma found his groove in the longest format during the recently-concluded Test series between India and Sri Lanka. Getting a start after a year on the sidelines, the Mumbai batsman produced an impressive show with two centuries and a fifty.

In the limited-overs leg of the tour, Rohit is set to receive another feather in his cap as he leads India in the absence of Virat Kohli, who has taken time off for some much-needed rest.

Rohit, who has led Mumbai Indians to multiple triumphant campaigns in the Indian Premier League, is no novice to the art of captaincy, however he accepted that the pressures of playing at the international level differ when compared to life in the IPL.

The 30-year-old, though, feels the basics of captaincy do not need to be altered in his case, as years of playing with the same teammates has given him a fair idea of each member’s strengths and weaknesses.

“It will be a completely different ball game,” said Rohit ahead of the opening match of the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka that kicks-off in Dharamsala from Sunday.

“The process and basics of captaincy of any team will remain the same. These are obviously a different set of players. But, I have played with most of them for a long time, I know their strengths and weaknesses,” said Rohit, who was named India’s limited-overs vice-captain earlier this year.

“The idea is to make the teammates feel comfortable. As captain, personally, I don’t need to change a lot. Yes, the pressures of the IPL compared to international cricket are completely different.

“The mindset of the players going onto the field and performing is absolutely different. I also won’t change a lot. I’ll try to stay in the present and make the few changes whenever necessary,” he added.

Giving confidence

Rohit will be at the helm of a team that has a number of players who are hoping to use the platform to cement their place in the side. Batsmen like Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav and Dinesh Karthik have been in and out of the national squad repeatedly over the past year. Sri Lanka at home provides an important fixture for these players to prove their worth.

The stand-in skipper feels, as captain his job is not to add to their pressure and instead make them feel comfortable and channel their focus on to the team’s quest of winning matches.

“It is important to give these guys (shreyas, Manish, Kedar, Dinesh) that they keep playing,” Rohit said. “We as a team management want all these players to get enough games under their belt. They know that they have to perform to hope of getting a place in the playing XI.

“There is a lot of competition for spots in the playing XI. They have to grab that opportunity. Whoever performs keep getting more opportunities. We as a team management want them to get the confidence by getting a certain number of games under their belt. It is up to them what they do with the chance. We want them to go into the middle and not worrying about getting anything else but their performance,” Rohit said.

Replicating Test form

Speaking about his fine run in the Test series, Rohit said he had made a concerted effort to remain fit and ready to hit the ground running when called into the playing XI.

He was rewarded with an opportunity in the Nagpur Test and he returned the favour with a fine century.

“For me, it was very important that I be ready whenever the opportunity arises,” Rohit said. “I had to prepare in a manner that I can get the game time anytime. That happened in Nagpur and I was ready. Personally, I am happy how the Test series panned out.

Rohit said, his team was not taking the Sri Lankan’s lightly despite their 5-0 win India registered earlier this year away in the island nation.

“We managed to put pressure on them when we played in Sri Lanka,” said Rohit. “We won all five matches. But, every new series is different. And it’ll bring different challenges. We have to do what we need to do on the basics and focus on the little things that add up to bigger things.

“We cannot think about the past or what will happen in the future. As a team we need to focus on the game. That has worked for us over the years. At times, you are put in different situations. It is important how you react to those situations,” he added.

Proud of Bumrah

Rohit admitted that Sri Lanka have enough firepower to trouble India, but that the the home side had the players to maintain their edge.

Rohit will have at his disposal services of limited-overs specialists such as MS Dhoni. He reserved special praise for pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who will soon be seen in the longer format during India’s tour of South Africa.

“It is a great boost for him to be part of the Test team,” said Rohit. “He was looking forward to it. He was wanting to be part of the team for a while. It is a reward for what he has done in the ODIs and T20I,” said Rohit.

“It is testament to how he has played over the last year. He has improved a lot both as a bowler and is fitter than before. It is a lesson for budding cricketers, If you put in the hard yards, you will get rewarded.”

Rohit, who plays alongside the Gujarat bowler at the Mumbai Indians, said that the secret to the 23-year-old’s success was his disciplined work ethic.

“I have played with him for a few years now at Mumbai Indians,” said Rohit. “I have seen him grow as a player. Every game and season we have seen him come up with new strategies, new plans, its good to see how he has matured and he understands what he needs to bowl and what the team requires from him.

“He is disciplined in terms of work ethic, He had some time off and went to NCA. He’s worked on his body and he’s rejuvenated and he looks fresher now and hopefully he can keep doing the job that he’s been doing for us over the years,” Rohit added.