T20 World Cup gives India chance to change trend of not having won ICC trophies in last 9 years: Rohit Sharma

Come Sunday, and India will resume their quest to win an ICC trophy when they open their Super 12 campaign in the Men's T20 World Cup against arch-rivals Pakistan at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.

With India having gone without winning a T20 World Cup after the triumph in the inaugural edition in 2007, captain Rohit Sharma believes that the showpiece event in Australia gives his side a chance to change the trend of being winless in ICC events in the last nine years.

"It's a challenge to not win an ICC trophy for nine long years, if I am not wrong. The last one we won was in 2013 (Champions Trophy). With the team like India, there are always a lot of expectations and are certainly disappointed with that (on not having the trophies in last nine years).

"This tournament gives us that chance to change it and do well. We certainly know we have to play our best cricket in coming here and do well. So, we will take things one game at a time and think about that one game, how we will do well in that game and then move on from there to think about the next one," said Rohit in the pre-match press conference.

With the dreams of doing an encore of 2007 resurfacing in 2022, Rohit termed it as a challenge for his team to live up to the same. "Won't say it as a pressure, but will definitely say it's a challenge for us to come out on top in the ICC events.

"Not the performance we would have liked to put in ICC events when we play the big games (in the past), I believe the opportunity comes and we have the opportunity to come here and do well. We will have to focus on certain things to get that right."

While India have used 29 cricketers in T20Is in the past one year, some by choice and some by design, the captain wants his team to be a mix, where players would be inducted instinctively and also based on available database (match ups).

"There are times like this time when we don't have much information about how teams have fared at this time of the year. At times, you depend on your instincts and choose the player on current form and how he is doing," Rohit said on Saturday, ahead of their much-anticipated opener against arch-rivals Pakistan.

"But we also study a lot of data. I am open about my playing XI. I don't mind having one or two changes per game in the playing XI."