Rohit Sharma spoke on India’s team environment at the ODI World Cup 2023 before the semi-final match against New Zealand to be played on Wednesday in Mumbai.
New Delhi: Indian captain Rohit Sharma has said during the pre-match conference that the side had a secret fashion show after the four-wicket win over New Zealand during the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 tournament at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamsala.
The 36-year-old Indian skipper talked about the Men in Blue healthy atmosphere in the dressing room before the Rohit Sharma-led side took on the Kane Williamson-led side in the first semifinal of the ODI World Cup 2023 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 15.
The Indian opener also said that it is impossible to build a good environment with the help of only one or two players.
“That’s a conscious effort. We wanted to build it and that couldn’t be done with one or two players. All of them have chipped in, including the support staff. We even had a secret fashion show in Dharamsala which thankfully no one knows about,” Rohit was quoted as saying in the pre-match press conference.
Rohit Sharma said “During the break at Dharmasala, we had a fashion show – I don’t reveal many things like who won (smiles) but the atmosphere in the team is so good, everyone is relaxed”. pic.twitter.com/GONELdEjXA
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) November 14, 2023
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said that every team is a ‘tricky’ one.
“In this tournament, every team is a tricky one. India have been exceptional. We knew on our day if we play good cricket then we give ourselves a good chance,” Williamson said.
Speaking about the upcoming match, he added that it will be great to play against the host nation. The Kiwi skipper said that it would also be a tough challenge for them.
“These occasions are special. It is great to play against the host nation. It is going to be a really tough challenge. As a team, we are focussing on our strengths,” he added.
The ‘Men in Blue’ finished the league round with a resounding 160-run victory over the Dutch side, keeping their perfect unbeaten record in the ongoing tournament intact.
On the other hand, New Zealand finished fourth, knocking Pakistan and Afghanistan out of contention. The semi-final encounter will be a huge test for the Indians, who have struggled in big competitions over the last decade.
India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Prasidh Krishna, Suryakumar Yadav.
New Zealand squad: Kane Williamson (c), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young.