The former batsman of the Indian team, Virendra Sehwag, has a piece of advice for Rohit Sharma to lead the Indian cricket team before the upcoming ODI World Cup in 2023. Sehwag, who was part of the India team that won the World Cup in 2011, revealed how the team approached the tournament both on and off the field and also highlighted the importance of captain MS Dhoni and head coach Gary Kirsten.
Sehwag said, "When we had a team meeting, we decided we wouldn't read newspapers and wouldn't listen to outside noise. Anything that can add pressure, we won't do. It had become a rule, and almost everyone genuinely followed it. We stayed together; we tried to enjoy ourselves and do team-building exercises. Because it's easy to drift apart in long tournaments such as these. Gary Kirsten and MS Dhoni ensured that we stayed together.”
Sehwag revealed how Dhoni encouraged the team to follow the process, which eventually led to the second ODI World Cup victory for India and the first after 28 years.
He further revealed that, "Before and after matches, we had get-togethers. And we used to mostly talk cricket. On dinners, cricket strategies used to be a topic. I used to give suggestions. That was a big reason for our World Cup win. Of course, we had pressure. Whether we were on flight, the CISF personnel, in the hotel, the managers and waiters... everyone kept saying, 'win the World Cup'. But MS Dhoni had this one line: 'Focus on the process'. Our process was good; that's why we won.”