(Web Desk) - Unbeaten in the league stage of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 with nine wins in as many games, India gear up for the highly anticipated semi-final clash against New Zealand on Wednesday, 15 November.
India would be hoping to go one step better this time, having lost the semi-final clash in the last World Cup in 2019 to the same opposition.
After securing their first-ever World Cup in 1983 under Kapil Dev's captaincy and a second victory at home led by MS Dhoni in 2011, India skipper Rohit Sharma revealed that the current team isn't overly fixated on past achievements. Instead, they are living in the present, maintaining their focus on what is ahead of them.
"Honestly, I mean, look, that's the beauty of this team. Half of the guys were not even born when we won our first World Cup. And then when we won our second World Cup in 2011, half of the guys were not even playing the game," Rohit said on the eve of the semi-final encounter against New Zealand.
"For us, this current crop of players, they are very much into what is happening today, what can happen tomorrow. Those are the things they try and focus on.
"I don't see them talking about how we won the last World Cup, how we won our first World Cup," Rohit revealed. "The focus is on how they can get better as a player, what they can bring to the team and what are the things they need to improve. So that's the beauty of the crop of players we have at this point in time.
"The focus is always on the present and that I believe is a very good thing. Going into a tournament like this, from game number one, the focus has always been on what we can achieve today.
"What you achieve today sets you up for what you can achieve tomorrow. So I think the crop of players that we have is very much focused on that process," he added.
New Zealand stands out as one of the most consistently formidable teams in World Cups lately, frequently securing spots in the semi-finals and finals. Rohit emphasized their disciplined approach, shedding light on India's preparations to meet this formidable challenge.
"Overall, whenever we've come up against New Zealand, probably the most disciplined team in terms of how they want to play the game. And they play their cricket very smartly. They understand the opposition quite well.
"Obviously having played with a lot of our players in different stages of their careers, different tournaments, they do understand the mentality of the opposition. It is the same for us as well.
"But, whenever we've played against them, the most disciplined team, I would say. And they've been very consistent for so many years now, playing semifinals and the finals of probably all ICC tournaments in the last, I don't know, maybe six, seven years, from 2015 onwards, if I'm not wrong.
"So yeah, and we do understand what they bring to the table and how they play their cricket. We have been closely following all the teams as to where their strength lies, and where their weakness lies. And based on that, we try and go out there and play the game."