Rohit Sharma opens up about Pakistan's No. 1 ICC ODI team ranking

Pakistan recently clinched the top position in the ICC ODI rankings after defeating Afghanistan by 3-0 in three-match series in Sri Lanka.

Ahead of the India-Pakistan clash in the 2023 Asia Cup, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, in a pre-match presser, lauded Pakistan's cricket and its journey to the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI rankings.

Speaking about Pakistan's achievement, Rohit acknowledged the hard work and dedication put in by the Pakistan cricket team, emphasizing that reaching the summit of ODI rankings is a milestone that is indeed worthy of praise and that makes Pakistan a force to reckon with.

"Pakistan is a very good team. They've been performing very well in the last few years, whether in the T20 World Cup or 50-over cricket. No team becomes Number 1 just like that; it takes a lot of effort. I'm sure the Pakistan team has worked hard to become Number 1. They play like a unit and are playing good cricket, so it'll be a challenge for us," Rohit said.

Admiring Pakistan's bowling attack and India's preparation to tackle them, Rohit stated that they will make use of the extensive experience they have against Pakistan's pace-trio.

"We don't have Shaheen, Naseem, and Rauf in our nets, so we have to practice against who we have available. All three are quality bowlers and have been performing well. Pakistan have always had quality bowlers. We've looked at their strengths and how they bowl. We've been playing for so long so we must utilize our experience to play them, it's as simple as that," he added.

Pakistan and India will face each other on September 2 in Kandy. While the Babar-led side has already opened their Asia Cup campaign by defeating Nepal on Wednesday, India will play their first game against arch-rivals on Saturday.