The 2023 edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup is all set to come to an end on Sunday (November 19). Hosts India will lock horns with five-time champions Australia in the tournament final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
On the eve of the big game, India skipper Rohit Sharma addressed a press conference, where he was asked about the message MS Dhoni gave to his team ahead of the T20 World Cup 2007 final against Pakistan and if he has prepared something similar.
Notably, a young Rohit was part of the Indian side that Dhoni led to the inaugural T20 World Cup title in South Africa.
In reply, Rohit said: “There won’t be anything different. The way I just told you, the way we’ve been playing, we’ll like to play the same way. There’s no need to give a different message.”
“In 2007, I don’t think MS gave a different message (either). The way we started, we will play the final the same way,” he added.
When asked if he’s prepared a speech to inspire his troops, the captain said, “No, nothing like that. The normal discussions we have during the game, before the game, they are normal discussions. Other than that, there is no discussion about anything else.”
For Rohit Sharma, the World Cup final is going to be a special one for a number of reasons.
“Look, I mean, I don’t want to go back there. It was a very emotional period. I think I’m sure everyone knows about it. It was a very hard time. But again, now I’m very happy that I’m at this stage where I’m leading the team into the final,” Rohit said when asked about his omission from the 2011 World Cup squad.
“I never thought it (leading India in world cup final) will happen. But things do happen if you wish for it. And if you dream big, all these things happen. So yeah, I’m just very happy to be here. But I know the importance of tomorrow. So, I just want to keep it nice and relaxed and calm and not get too emotional thinking about what happened in 2011 or what can happen tomorrow,” he further remarked.
Ahead of the final, Rohit wants to create a ‘nice and balanced’ environment for his teammates that he created for himself.
“I just want to create the same environment that I created for myself when we started this World Cup. We were all in great space. We are all in great space now. So, I just want to maintain that. Like I said, don’t want to go too up. Don’t want to go too low. Just nice and balanced,” he stated.
(CricketNext Inputs)
