India captain Rohit Sharma revealed that the entire unit had a novel way to keep things relaxed amidst the pressure of the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023. The Men in Blue had a week off after facing New Zealand in Dharamshala and to make things slight and fun, they had a fashion show.
India remained undefeated in the league stage of the ICC World Cup and was the first team to qualify for the semi-finals. They will face New Zealand in the semis on November 15 in Mumbai.
“Our conscious effort has been on this that the team's environment does not change based on the results. We have to create the environment that is needed for the team, and that is mandatory. This cannot be done by one or two boys. It is important for all the boys to come together, including the support staff,” Rohit told the media on the eve of the first semi-final.
There were team bonding activities planned, including a fashion show, where the squad members were asked to walk the ramp.
"Like we were in Dharamsala, we had a break of five days there. We stayed in Dharamsala for two days. We did a lot of team activity there. We did a fashion show there, but no one knows about that. It is a good thing that no one knows about it," Rohit quipped.
Rohit emphasized the importance of maintaining a comfortable environment in the playing group because pressure follows the players and the team wherever they go, regardless of the event or series they are involved in.
"This is the environment where we like to be very relaxed. All the boys like this a lot. Because you know, when you come on the ground, there will be pressure, pressure of performance, pressure of winning the match. That cannot be changed,” he said.
"Because once you reach the ground, it is then up to the individuals how they want to take it forward. But before that, we have done everything we can to make the team's environment easy. The team's atmosphere is very good. It is very relaxed,” Rohit said.
(PTI inputs)
