'Play Fearless, Give Your Best', Sehwag Advises India Ahead Of World Cup Semifinal
IND vs NZ promises to be a fascinating contest
Ahead of the upcoming World Cup 2023 semi-final at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday, where India faces New Zealand, former Indian cricketer and World Cup champion Virender Sehwag offered some straightforward advice to the Indian team.
Sehwag’s mantra for India during semi-final clash with New Zealand
Speaking at the ICC Hall of Fame event in Mumbai, Sehwag pointed out the importance of playing fearlessly and focusing solely on giving their best without worrying about the outcome. He believes that if all eleven players perform at their best, victory for India is inevitable.
“Play fearless, give your best and don’t think about the result. If eleven players will give their best, India will win,” said Sehwag.
Sehwag also commended Indian captain Rohit Sharma, particularly highlighting his free-spirited playing style and increased responsibility since becoming captain. He noted how Rohit's leadership extends beyond his performance, praising his nurturing approach towards younger opener Shubman Gill.
“He has been playing freely for a long time but now that he is the captain, he is taking more responsibility to give a good start and score a lot of runs for Team India. And the way he is taking care of Shubman Gill is amazing,” added the erstwhile opener.
Drawing from his own experiences in high-pressure knockout games, Sehwag acknowledged the role of luck in such critical matches.
He recalled the 2011 semifinal against Pakistan in Mohali, where India successfully defended a score of around 260, attributing part of that success to good fortune combined with excellent bowling.
While acknowledging that teams cannot always rely on luck, he feels a touch of it, along with India's current form, could significantly enhance their chances in the semifinal.
“You have to play well. You can’t depend on luck all the time but yes in knockout games, you need a little bit of luck because I still remember against Pakistan, they scored 260-270 but we had luck on our side and bowlers bowled well to defend the total. India are playing good cricket and some luck would be sone pe Suhaga,” concluded Sehwag.
 "Jatin")
