Bhubaneswar: If MS Dhoni was the ‘Captain Cool’ for Indian cricket team then Manpreet Singh is the new ‘Captain Cool’ for hockey counterparts. And he wants his mates to be the same before the game against Australia, Friday.
“I urge my teammates to enjoy the game in the middle and not to take any undue pressure,” he stated. “We will take the game against Australia just as another match. I have full confidence in my mates and I know that we are one of the best sides in the world. The youngsters have provided us a lot of intensity. They make a deadly combination with the experienced players. If we will play according to our potential then we are capable enough to beat any team in the world,” Manpreet asserted.
He mentioned that in the absence of the experienced PR Sreejesh, the workload of young goalkeepers Akash Chikte and Suraj Karkera have increased manifold.
“These guys are talented and they have proved it time and again. They have been successful in the Asia Cup and other big tournaments. And I am quite sure that they will deliver in this event also. This will be a good exposure for them and they will learn a lot from it,” pointed out Manpreet.
The Indian skipper admitted that the HWLF will be a far tougher tournament than the Asia Cup. “Yes playing against the top- ranked European teams will be a huge challenge for us. But then we have now metamorphosed into a potent force. We will give all the other teams a good run for their money,” stated Manpreet.
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