India has qualified for the semi-finals of the ongoing CT 2025.
Former India opener and coach Lalchand Rajput has praised the current Indian team’s ruthlessness after they qualified for the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. India, placed in Group A of the tournament, has won both of its first two games against Bangladesh and Pakistan in Dubai.
Lalchand Rajput was the Indian coach when a new team under a new captain MS Dhoni played the 2007 T20 World Cup and inspite of no hope, emerged victorious.
Nearly 18 years later, the 63-year-old former cricket player says he is confident that the current Indian team, which is full of talented players, will win another important ICC trophy and do it in a dominant manner.
"This Indian team looks ruthless. They try to dominate and win every game. They don't want to give the opponents a chance to come back into the game. That is the attitude; and the way they are playing, I think they should win the Champions Trophy convincingly," Rajput told PTI.
Rajput, who is currently the head coach of the UAE cricket team, watched Virat Kohli reach his 51st ODI century in Sunday's six-wicket triumph over Pakistan in Dubai. In the forthcoming games, he now expects captain Rohit Sharma to make a significant impact.
"So, Virat got a hundred. All boxes are ticked. Now it's only up to Rohit to get a big hundred. I think Virat played a fantastic innings, you know, and he showed his class. We always think of King Kohli, I think he proved again. Big match, big-match temperament, big-match player,” Rajput added.
Rajput however warned the Indian team who will play New Zealand in their final group A game on Sunday, March 2.
"See, in cricket, you cannot take it lightly. Every game is important because if you take one or few overs lightly, that can change the game as well. So we have got to be at our best every time. We don't want to relax at any moment," he remarked.
"Both the games India have won comfortably. But in cricket, we can't say anything. We have to take one game at a time. We don't have to take New Zealand lightly. New Zealand is a better team (than Pakistan and Bangladesh); they have also won both the games and their morale is also high,” he added.
He would rather keep the same roster for the upcoming match, which is of little importance because both sides have guaranteed their spots in the semi-finals, given the squad's outstanding performance.
"I don't think they will try anything (new) because when the team is doing well, you go with the same momentum. Unless there is some injury, or somebody wants to be rested, but I don't think there will be any change. It's up to the management because there are few days in between. But I would always say that you always continue with the winning team," Rajput said.
(PTI inputs)