New Delhi: West Indies iconic cricketer Viv Richards believes that India can go all the way unbeaten in the ongoing World Cup with the strong mindset that they showed in the entire tournament.
India are the only unbeaten team in the tournament after facing cricketing giants like Australia, South Africa and Pakistan. The Men in Blue have dominated the table rankings by obliterating the opposition.
They are just a couple of matches away from lifting the trophy and Richards feels that India can go all the way if they continue to play with their current mindset.
"In terms of this year's competition, India have a mindset that they can go all the way playing like this. That absolutely should be their mindset and would be mine if I was in that dressing room - let's go out with all guns blazing. That approach has worked so far and if that changes, things may go astray," Richards said in a coloum of ICC.
"I believe they can go all the way unbeaten, which is really something to strive for. There may be some fears of 'we have played so well so far, there may be a bad game around the corner in the semi-final'. They have to try and nullify those and banish any negative thoughts," Richards added.
Virat is a go-getter
Richards feels that "mental strength" is a factor that has contributed to Virat Kohli's success and sets him apart as a prolific scorer and record-maker.
Richards who witnessed Kohli's remarkable run in the tournament expressed his appreciation for the star batter.
"Virat is a go-getter and what sets him apart is his mental strength. He will have backed himself throughout, and on the occasions in the past when I have chatted with him and we have discussed things, his mental strength has always been evident. That has been key to pushing him through to how he is playing now. Very few players, or people, are built like that," Richards said in the ICC column.
"Many people have made comparisons between the two of us over the years, partly because of our shared intensity on the field. I love Virat's enthusiasm - even if he is fielding at long-on or long-off, when one of his bowlers hits the pad, he is appealing. He is always in the game and I like individuals like that," Richards added.
The iconic West Indies batter hailed Kohli for bouncing back from his struggles and playing the way he is in the World Cup against tough competitors, proving that form is temporary and class is permanent.
"Credit must be given to the backroom staff and everyone who backed him. So much was said about his form but he is back on top of his game. It is phenomenal to see an individual who has had his low points bouncing back and playing like this. They say form is temporary - and he has certainly proven that class is permanent. I am so happy for him, he looks so focused and he is a credit to the game of cricket," Richards said.
