CWC 2023: Important to keep everyone in good mental space to win championships, says Rohit Sharma

Rohit believes every player has a role to play in a championship-winning side.

By Salman Anjum - 26 Oct, 2023

Team India have impressed one and all with their clinical display in the ongoing Cricket World Cup. The Men in Blue have won all five matches so far against Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand.

The five victories have propelled the tournament hosts to the top of the points table, and they need one more win out of the remaining four games to secure a spot in the semi-final.

Amid the success, India skipper Rohit Sharma has highlighted the importance of understanding everyone's need to be successful as a team.

“I think when it comes to managing players, it’s quite important that you understand the individual first and their requirement, what are the likes and dislikes of that particular individual because you know in a team sport it’s just not about one or two individuals or few individuals, it’s about everyone,” said Rohit while speaking to Star Sports.

Rohit Sharma was appointed India’s all-format skipper last year after Virat Kohli relinquished T20I and Test captaincy and was sacked as ODI captain.

Under his leadership, India played the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2022, final of the World Test Championship (WTC) this year and clinched the Asia Cup title last month.

Rohit believes every player has a role to play in a championship-winning side and it is essential to keep everyone in a good mental space.

“We do understand as well that when you want to win championships, big tournaments, everyone needs to come to the party and play their part. So, it’s important that you keep everyone in good mental space. So, it’s very important to hear everyone out, understand what they want, how they want to operate,” he added.

The Indian captain said he tries to put himself in other players’ shoes, adding that he learned this trait with time as it didn’t come naturally to him.

“I try and put myself in their shoes and think about what this individual will be needing now. So, it’s important to think like that. So, yeah that is something that I wouldn’t say comes naturally to me, I've learned it over the years, gone through my personal experiences and understood what is needed for a team to be successful,” said Rohit.

In the end, Rohit Sharma mentioned that players should be given freedom to execute their roles.

“I think what is needed to be successful is to understand everyone's need, their requirement and give them that space and freedom to go and execute their job and their roles. It can be quite daunting at times because when you are playing such a high-profile tournament, the pressure can get to you at times,” Rohit added.

India’s next World Cup match is scheduled against defending champions England in Lucknow on Sunday (October 29).

By Salman Anjum - 26 Oct, 2023

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