India have had a fairytale campaign in the ongoing World Cup 2023 so far as they still remain unbeaten in the tournament. Rohit Sharma-led India recorded nine wins on the trot in the league-stage matches before making it to the World Cup 2023's semifinal. India will be taking on New Zealand in the World Cup semifinal at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on November 14.
Meanwhile, right ahead of blockbuster semifinal match, Rohit credited coach Rahul Dravid for India's success in the ongoing World Cup. While revealing Rahul's success mantra, the 36-year-old said that the latter doesn't make any changes if someone doesn't do well.
"Have to applaud Rahul bhai that he hasn’t made changes if someone doesn’t do well. Role clarity and giving players the freedom to express is what I like," Rohit said in the pre-match press conference.
“As a captain, if you’ve decided that this is how you’ve decided the team to play, it should be done. You’ve got to back individuals to the hilt. If a players wants to do something, you’ve got to back him,” he added.
Recently, India recorded their ninth successive victory in the World Cup 2023 after bulldozing Netherlands by 160 runs on Diwali. Notably, it was India’s longest winning run in the history of the World Cup as they improved its eight-match victorious streak at the 2003 World Cup, where they suffered defeat at the hands of Australia in the final. Notably, India's third-longest winning streak in World Cup history occurred in the 2015 edition, where they remained undefeated for seven consecutive matches before succumbing to Australia in the semifinals. Only two teams have managed to lift the Cricket World Cup trophy without suffering a single loss throughout the tournament. West Indies achieved this remarkable feat in 1975 and 1979, while Australia replicated their success in 2003 and 2007.
India are on a mission to end their 10-year-long drought of ICC trophy in the World Cup 2023. India last won an ICC trophy in 2013 when they won the Championship Trophy.
Rohit also stressed on concentrating on the present subsiding the past event.
“Half of the guys were not even born when we won our first World Cup. And when we won the second World Cup half of them were not even playing the game. I don’t see these boys talking about how we won our first World Cup and how the second World Cup. They are always focused on the present and that’s so good in a tournament like this. What you achieve today sets you up for things to go. What has happened in the past is past. What you can do tomorrow is usually what we talk about,” Rohit concluded.
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