UNI

Mumbai, Feb 21: Team India captain Rahul Dravid on Tuesday said the key to success in the World Cup beginning in West Indies next month would be to treat this tournament as any other and not get overawed by the occasion and grandeur of the event.

The younger players especially those, who are playing their first World Cup, would need to keep their emotions in check and not get overawed by the fact of this being the World Cup but rather use this as a great opportunity to showcase their talent and enjoy themselves, Dravid added.

The Indian skipper was speaking at the launch of team India’s new kit. Dravid also said in some ways it was a relief that the world cup now is about to begin and the team has been selected and the preparations done.

“In the last year, there has been so much print material and talk about the World Cup now that we are actually ready to go and do battle in cricket’s biggest event comes as a relief,” he said.

Speaking about the added responsibilities of being a captain, Dravid said he definitely has less time now. He, however, added that at the same time, it has been an exciting and challenging time for himself.

Dravid also thanked his teammates saying, “it has been great to be part of a superb bunch of guys.”

Dravid, going down memory lane to his 11-year-long journey in international cricket, said the whole ride has been extremely exciting.

“As a child dreaming of playing for the country for atleast one match and then going on to represent it for 11 long years and still counting and also playing with and against some of the biggest legends of world cricket has been nothing short of a dream which I want it to go on forever.”