The captain of the Indian cricket team, Rohit Sharma, opened up on Friday about leading the side and the leadership role he plays for the national team, stating that as a skipper, he tries to build confidence and trust in players. During an event in Mumbai on Friday, the India captain cherished the role's numerous facets, including making strategic judgments on the field and managing individual players' personalities off the field.
In an event, Rohit said, “It is probably the hardest job of the leader to get everyone to do what you want them to do. They come with a different mindset, and they want to do what they want to do. That’s why we try to talk to everyone when they come in because it’s a team game and sport. What I try to do is give the players that freedom and importance—that they are very important to me. It does not matter if you only play 10 balls at No. 6 or No. 7; you are so important to me that you can win games. It’s just building confidence within themselves. Because you need all 11 of them to give their best. You need everyone to contribute to the team’s cause.”
The Indian captain further said, “I try and go to players’ rooms individually and talk to them; we have dinner. They look up to the leaders. If I am not available to talk and give time to them, then there will be some discomfort around the team. The most important thing is to try to treat everyone equally and give everyone that importance. Give them role clarity about what their role is.”
He added, “If they are having any thoughts about getting dropped, that’s where my role comes in. Then I have to try and build confidence. It’s about giving them that confidence and building that trust that no matter what my leader says, I have to go and execute it. Those are the things that I try to focus on. It’s a tough job.