As they prepared for their 2023 World Cup match against The Netherlands (NED) on Sunday at the Chinnasway Stadium in Bengaluru, the Indian players appeared to be in a good mood as they engaged in an inventive game.
Nearly the whole team could be seen playing “footvolley,” a hybrid of volleyball and football, in a video that the BCCI released.The participants were seen enjoying themselves laughing and having a time as they played. They used chairs to mark the boundaries, between two teams.
Watch the video here:
India wary of complacency against NED in World Cup
The hosts, who have already secured the top slot in the 2023 World Cup league phase, will most likely face New Zealand in their semifinal on November 15 at Wankhede Stadium.
Even if the game against The Netherlands doesn’t have a lot on the line, the Men in Blue would like to keep winning and avoid becoming complacent. After their thrilling 243-run victory against South Africa, they’ve already had a week to recover, so it would be intriguing to watch whether skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid choose to replace any players.
India’s hopes in the knockout stages will depend on players like Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, who may be sidelined in favor of Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna, who will most likely play. They could also consider giving Ravichandran Ashwin another chance to bat and resting Kuldeep Yadav.
Without a doubt, India has been lacking the balance that Hardik Pandya once offered. Still, thus far, their ruse of posing as experts has proven effective.
