Keep myself away from external factors: Gill
India’s Test and ODI skipper Shubman Gill has said keeping himself away from “external factors” helps him deal with pressure situations on and off the field.
Gill will be leading India in the third and final ODI against England here on Sunday, and a win will give the tourists a 2-1 series victory. “The way I deal with pressure is by keeping focussed on the things that are in my control and keep myself away from the external factors,” said Gill during an interactive session at a diaspora reception hosted by the High Commission of India in London on Saturday. India’s T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, who had to deal with a couple of injuries in the recent past, thanked his teammates for inspiring him to make a comeback. “I just wanted to get out of the hospital. The calls from my team members gave me a lot of motivation to head back to my training and come back stronger,” said during the session co-ordinated by India’s Deputy High Commissioner to the UK, Kartik Pande.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir described the UK as a “special place”, given the history between both countries, which “can never be forgotten and should never be forgotten”. “Indian cricket does not just belong to the people sitting in the dressing room. It belongs to every honest Indian cricket fan, who supports us selflessly and unconditionally,” said Gambhir. BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla told the players to stay off social media before a match and focus on their respective games. “In India, the problem is that 99 percent of the people are experts in cricket... so just try to avoid social media. There’s no dearth of talent in Team India, they are full of talent,” said Shukla during his address at the gathering held at the India House
P Kumaran, the Indian High Commissioner to the UK, welcomed the team and highlighted the wide-ranging impact of the India-UK Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement (CETA), which entered into force this week. “We are hopeful that it [CETA] opens up many possibilities for business services as well as sports-related activities,” said Kumaran. “Over the years, Team India has made us proud many times over and over with your achievements,” he added.
