In preparation for the Kiwi challenge at the biggest stage of all, Indian captain Rohit Sharma praised head coach Rahul Dravid for his unwavering support of players in the 2023 ICC World Cup. Rohit, who was ignored by selectors for the 2011 World Cup, has led the Dravid-coached side to the ICC semi-final. Under the guidance of Rohit, Men in Blue registered a perfect nine in the round-robin phase of the ICC World Cup.

The only undefeated side of the ongoing World Cup tournament will take on Kane Williamson-led New Zealand in today’s (November 15) first semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium. Speaking at the press conference, Rohit praised New Zealand for being one of the most consistent performers in ICC events. Williamson’s Black Caps defeated India in the 2019 World Cup semi-final at Old Trafford.

Premier batters KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer made their One Day International (ODI) comebacks in the build-up to the ICC tournament before forming the backbone of India’s middle order during the World Cup. I don’t have a mantra. If you have opted to play this way as a captain, you must be clear about it. You must fully support the players. We have backed specific players and assigned them specific positions. We will support and stand with the players Rohit admitted.

We have to give Dravid credit for buying into that notion and not shuffle too much when it doesn’t work. We will continue to do so in the future. Giving guys more flexibility and clarifying their roles. There was one moment when all four of us bowled and the crowd enjoyed it, Rohit concluded.