Team India and New Zealand are the only two teams in the 2023 World Cup that have not lost a match yet, following the Netherlands’ stunner against South Africa on Tuesday in Dharamsala. In the first three matches of the tournament, the host nation has won against Australia, Afghanistan and Pakistan. As a result of these three victories, India has reached the top of the points table, separated from New Zealand only by a net run rate advantage.

India was considered one of the favourites to win the tournament when it was just around the corner, and they still are, justifiably, after 15 games. However, many people believed that the greatest hurdle the squad faced was the strain of living up to the expectations of being the host country. Every time India competes in an ICC event, the expectations of its 1.3 billion people are at their peak, but at home, in familiar surroundings, with hundreds of loudly cheering Indian fans at every site they play, the pressure is multiplied a million times. However, the Men in Blue handled it admirably, putting the worries to rest.

In an interview with ICC on Tuesday, two-time World Cup champion skipper Ricky Ponting thanked Rohit Sharma for helping the squad handle the stress of competing in front of passionate fans.

He is really relaxed, Rohit. He does things quite casually, Ponting added. “Even his playing style demonstrates that. He is a somewhat reclusive type of batsman, and that describes him both on and off the pitch. The magnitude of the competition makes it impossible for us to stand back and claim that the pressure won’t eventually damage them or get to them. But he’ll take it and handle it better than most likely anyone.

Ponting continued by drawing comparisons between Rohit’s character and that of previous India captain Virat Kohli and outlined what makes the former the best choice to captain the squad during a home World Cup.

Ponting stated.”His personality would probably make it difficult”. Virat is a bit more heart-on-the-sleeve, and he probably listens to the fans and plays up with them a little bit more.” “However, I believe Rohit will be okay with it. He is a nice guy and has been a great player for a long time, and he has led India admirably.

India still has a long way to go before winning the World Cup, which would be their third overall and first since they won it at home in 2011. The team will need to be cautious moving forward after a couple upsets that saw the defending champions South Africa and England fall. On Thursday, they will take on Bangladesh in Pune for their fourth league game.