Despite his poor form, England will not take Rohit Sharma lightly at all, says Ben Stokes

India will lock horns with England in the all-important second semi-final of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2022 on Thursday (November 10). The blockbuster clash will be staged at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide with a place in the final on the line. Ahead of the much-awaited encounter, captain Rohit Sharma's form is a huge concern for the Indian team.

Rohit has struggled to score runs in the ongoing tournament and has so far managed only 89 runs in five matches. Despite having an excellent pull shot at his disposal, Rohit has been far from effective against short balls and bouncers in Australia. He has been dismissed by bouncers thrice in five matches so far.

However, despite his poor form, England all-rounder Ben Stokes has said his team won't take the Indian skipper lightly in the upcoming semi-final between the two teams. Stokes called Rohit one of the best T20 batters in the world and said he should not be judged on the basis of previous matches.

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"The likes of Rohit, they are world-class players. You can't take (assume) anything from what he has performed in the previous game because you have seen him do it many a time (in big games)," Stokes said in the pre-match presser on Tuesday.

"He is one of the best to play the game, especially in this format. We won't be taking him lightly at all," he added.

Rohit has so far managed just a solitary fifty in the ongoing T20 World Cup. His maiden half-century in the tournament came against Netherlands. While he has failed to fire on the top, India have not felt the repercussions as Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav have both been stellar with the bat.

Kohli and Surykaumar are currently the top two run-getters for India in the T20 World Cup this year with over 200 runs each. The duo has fired all cylinders and their contributions will be the key if India are to fancy their chances in the semi-final against England.

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While India finished on top of Group 1 with eight points from five matches in Super 12, England made it to the semi-finals after beating Afghanistan in their last Super 12 game, pipping hosts Australia on net run rate. Stokes admitted England have not played their best cricket so far in the tournament but will hope to bring their A game against India.

"I think the way we have managed to get through not playing our best cricket so far and now we find ourselves here. So obviously it's exciting. But we know we need to get this game done on Thursday, against a very strong Indian team which no one will ever take lightly," said the England star.