Rajput advises India to play fearlessly

World T20-winning coach Rajput advises India to play fearlessly in today's final

An important aspect of Mahendra Singh Dhoni's World T20-winning team was that they played fearlessly. More than three years later, Dhoni's men are again in a final, this time in the quadrennial extravaganza.


The Indian team celebrate after defeating arch-rivals Pakistan in their
World Cup semi-final in Mohali on Wednesday. PIC/Getty Images

Expectations are sky-high and the pressure will be enormous playing in front of the home crowd. Lalchand Rajput, coach of the victorious 2007 team, wants India to play with the same fearlessness when they take on Sri Lanka in the summit clash at the Wankhede stadium today.


Lalchand Rajput

"I would certainly want them to play fearlessly. There is no doubt about that. We are just a game away from winning the World Cup. I am sure they will go all out and give their best," Rajput told MiD DAY.

"You cannot take pressure because the more you take pressure, the more it gets on to you. We have to put pressure on the opposition and this team is quite capable of doing that. The crowd will be supporting our team, which will be a big advantage," the joint secretary of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) added.

Later, Dhoni said that his team looked at the final as importantly as any other game. "We are not thinking about tomorrow's game as a final. For us every match is a challenge and just as important. In the end you have to play the same way and do the right things to succeed," he said in his pre-match press conference.

It is a perfect occasion for Sachin Tendulkar to bring up his 100th international century on his home turf and with it realise the dream of winning back the World Cup after 28 years. "Mumbai is the hub of cricket in India and we are hoping that Sachin scores his 100th international ton here and India wins the World Cup," Rajput said.

Rajput also said that the Indians should take the final as 'just another game'. "That's how we took our T20 final against Pakistan and it did wonders. It was a high-pressure game. I just told them to not look at it as a final because once you start thinking about it, it adds to the pressure. All I told them was to go out there and enjoy the occasion," the former India coach recalled.

Rajput said the team had what it takes to win the Cup. "The semi-final match against Pakistan showed that we have got nerves of steel and we can handle pressure. We are playing like a cohesive unit. I am sure we will win the World Cup," he said.