Indian captain Shubman Gill has highlighted that he tries to keep himself away from external factors, which helps him handle pressure on and off the field. Gill has been in fine form in the ODI series against England and has led the team from the front.

The Indian opener scored a match-winning knock of 80 runs in the series opener at Edgbaston, Birmingham, before he had to retire hurt due to cramps. Gill then scored another free-flowing knock of 30 runs off 31 balls in the second ODI. 

“The way I deal with pressure is by keeping focused on the things that are in my control and keeping 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.

On the other hand, India’s T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, who has battled injuries throughout his career, gave credit to his teammates for always motivating him.

“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 Iyer during the session coordinated by India’s Deputy High Commissioner to the UK, Kartik Pande.

Meanwhile, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir said Indian cricket not only belongs to the support staff in the dressing room but also to the fans, who back the team through thick and thin.

“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.

Lastly, BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla advised players to stay away from social media before matches and focus on their game.

“In India, the problem is that 99 percent of the people are cricket experts… so just try to avoid social media. There’s no dearth of talent in Team India; they are full of talent,” said Shukla at the gathering held at India House.