Team India captain Rohit Sharma said on Wednesday that the time has come for the group to “get secluded” and focus on the job.

The team faces the challenge of emulating Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s 2011 group when they won the World Cup at home.

“I know what is at stake. The guys who are a part of the team know what is at stake. For us, it is about taking everything out and focusing on what we want to do as a team,” said Rohit during ICC’s ‘Captain’s Day’ event in Ahmedabad.

“It (hosts winning the Cup) has happened in the last three editions of the World Cup. It is a long tournament and you cannot get too far ahead of yourself. It is important for us to try and focus on one job at a time and move on.

“We need not worry about the expectations, because they are always going to be there. We don’t have to worry about who we are playing and what is happening elsewhere,”
said Rohit.

“The guys are used to going through the pressure whether it is playing in India or away. Pressure is something that is not going to leave sportsmen as long as you play the sport.

“It is very easy to say forget pressure... it is going to be tough. But we have prepared really well. It is all about executing your skills and having trust and belief in whatever you do... We have to focus on one game at a time.”

Babar overwhelmed

Pakistan captain Babar Azam has been surprised with the welcome his team received
in India.

“Since the time we arrived in Hyderabad, the kind of hospitality we’ve received and the kind of welcome we had from the airport to the hotel was very good,” he said.

“It’ll be even better if our fans visit here as well. And hopefully we get that kind of support in every match and at every ground.”