India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara does yoga, meditation and takes advice from spiritual guru to keep distance from the negative thoughts. It helps him focus more on the positive things.
Pujara said it was difficult for him to handle pressure during his childhood. The Indian cricketer said he used to go to his mother and cry while telling her he wants to quit playing cricket.
Speaking in a Youtube interview on ‘Mind Matters’, he said, “Once you are in a negative zone, everything around you becomes negative. I do yoga and try meditation, I do my prayers every day which helps me to remain in a positive mindset.
“There was a time when I felt I cannot handle the pressure. When I had issues in my younger days, I used to go to my mother and cried in front of her saying that I had a lot of pressure and nervousness and I don’t to want play cricket. But now I know how to handle the pressure."
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The 33-year-old revealed he took help from a spiritual guru after losing his mother at the young age of 17. “Mind matters because if you don’t have a clear head you are always in doubt. If you are in a happy state of mind you are having a happy life.
“I have a spiritual guru and when I lost my mother, he sad it is tough to accept the loss. He said you need to have faith and faith is something which has kept me going.
“Over a period of time I realised that I can use that word (faith) in my game and in my life also and having faith in God is the most important thing for me.”
Pujara talked about going unsold in IPL for a long time before being bought by Chennai Super Kings in the recent auction and said he was hurt. “It was tough, it’s never easy to be left out and to be unsold in the IPL. It hurt me.
“But that is something I can’t control. After a point, I realise I will do things which I can control. I kept on working to get better towards the shorter format.”
The huge pressure on cricketers does affect them mentally. Pujara feels they should consult sports psychologists which can help them perform better.
“I have seen many domestic players finding it difficult to handle pressure when they go to international level. I have seen best of the players consulting sports psychologists and they always enhance your performance.
“I have consulted them many times and it has helped me. When you deal with the mental aspect you always have questions and to clear those doubts and I saw a different perspective after consulting sports psychologist. So focus on the process and don’t worry about the outcome.”
