‘He is definitely an exciting prospect’, Rohit Sharma says about Umran Malik

After testing positive for COVID-19, Rohit Sharma was forced to miss the rescheduled fifth Test that India played against England. However, he has since made a full recovery, and as a result, he will lead India in the first T20I of the three-match series, which will take place on Thursday in Southampton.

Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, and Jasprit Bumrah would not be available for the first game, but the senior pros would be back starting with the second game and continuing onwards from there.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Sharma spoke on several topics, including preparing the squad, the fifth Test, which India lost by seven wickets, and "interesting potential" Umran Malik. Sharma then addressed the audience.

According to NDTV Sports, Sharma said he was doing well after COVID-19, and it's been eight or nine days since he tested positive for COVID.

He also said that every player who tested positive for COVID-19 had a different reaction and didn't know what would happen next. He said, though, that he feels fine right now.

Sharma said he had just started training three days ago, so he chose to play in the first T20I. He has no symptoms, and all of his tests came back negative. He said that he was now looking forward to the game.

"It was very hard to watch from the sidelines, it is never easy when you miss games, especially an important game like that where the series was on the line for us. But speaking of symptoms, I was struggling a little bit for a couple of days but I am happy that I am standing back on my feet nice and healthy as I look forward to this T20I series. It is always nice to get back playing and I am excited to be on the field and getting along with the boys," he said.

Malik’s performance in the IPL

The 35-year-old said that pacer Umran Malik is a big part of the team's plans and that they are just trying to help him understand what the team needs from him. There will be times when they want to try out a few guys. Malik is one of those guys. With an eye on the World Cup, they want to see what he can do for the team.

Not only that, but the captain of the Indian national team also said good things about Malik's skills. "He is definitely an exciting prospect, there is no doubt about it. We all saw during the IPL, he can bowl fast. It is about giving him that role, whether we want to give him the new ball or we want to use him at the backend," said Sharma.

"When you play for franchises, the role is different as compared to when you play for the national team. It is just about understanding how you can fit in those individuals and give them clarity," he added.

About the upcoming series

Sharma also talked about what he would do for the next series. Sharma will be watching the World Cup at the same time. The captain of India also said that every game is important to them.

"So we want to come here and tick every box and make sure that we get the job done. As much as we want to keep one eye on the World Cup, we want to make sure we are getting the job done here as well. Yes, there are younger players who are getting opportunities to represent the country. Coming off through the performances for state teams, IPL, they deserve their opportunity," said Sharma.

Sharma also said England would be a tough team for them to beat, and he's looking forward to the T20I and ODI series against England.