The reception after 2007 World Cup win gave me goosebumps, the city that never sleeps came to standstill: Lalchand Rajput [Interview]

Lalchand Rajput wore many hats from being a player to a coach. Back in the mid-1980s, on the basis of his impressive performances in the domestic circuit, Rajput was selected for the tour of Sri Lanka in 1985. He then made a splendid debut in red-ball cricket scoring 32 and 61, where he stitched a partnership of 76 runs with Dilip Vengsarkar in the second innings.

Post his playing days, he served as the joint secretary of the Mumbai Cricket Association. Rajput then took up the task of coaching and had successful stints with the Under 19 teams. He was handed over the mantle of being India’s cricket manager at the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa and held the position until the Australia tour in 2007-08.

The young Indian team won the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup and Rajput was a part of the setup as the cricket manager in the tournament. As it is 14 years now since team India tasted the T20 World Cup glory, Rajput opened up on the tournament and the current Indian team. In an exclusive interview with CricTracker, he shed light on some interesting decisions whilst the tournament and recounted his fond memories as well.

Here are some excerpts from Lalchand Rajput’s interview: 

After winning the World Cup in 2007, you said this is the future team of India. 14 years down the line, how satisfied are you with the performance of the players from that team during this period?

I am really satisfied. Some of the players are still playing. Dhoni just retired last year. Rohit Sharma is still playing so we have got players who are still there. It is good to see that the players have taken up their role and actually it has changed the whole cricketing setup in India.

After winning the World Cup, the IPL came. The players have done exceptionally well in IPL and our bench strength is stronger now. Our players are rubbing shoulders with the international players now. And if you look at our team now, we can go and win in any part of the world. And that’s why we are the number one team in the world at the moment.

What were your views then about MS Dhoni – the captain at the start of the World Cup?

He was a new captain, I was a first-time coach as well. We really bonded well. Nobody expected us to win. That was the thing that really inspired us. That got the team together and we really played hard. The intent was exceptionally good. There was this young team, some players wanted to make name for themselves at the international level, some wanted to come back to the Indian team. So, it was an ideal platform for all the players.

The players really gelled well and if you look at the result, no one expected us and that’s the reason why we actually won because there were no expectations. There was no baggage and excess pressure and that’s why the players could go and express themselves.

What was the discussion in the dressing room when India needed to restrict hosts South Africa below 125 to enter the semi-final stage?

South Africa were named as chokers and because they were hosts we knew they would be having pressure. Our plan was to take early wickets and put pressure on them and that’s what we did. We got wickets at regular intervals and they couldn’t get to 125.

What kind of an impact did Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes make in the dressing room?

It had a very big impact because players started believing in themselves. Because the way Yuvraj played in the match was fantastic. He demoralized the England bowling attack by hitting six sixes in an over. And from then onwards, we never looked back because the team started believing and wanted to do well and go further and play the final. I think Yuvraj Singh brought motivation and momentum to the team.

Did you ever think that MS Dhoni will toss the ball to Joginder Sharma in that final over, instead of the more experienced Harbhajan Singh? 

Yes, we had talked about Joginder because Dhoni had seen him in domestic cricket and he used to bowl the death overs. We spoke about that in the team meeting that nobody must have seen Joginder Sharma, the videos must have also not been there, and that he is an unknown entity. And Joginder has got the nerves of steel, he doesn’t show any pressure on his face and that is the reason Dhoni must have thought to give him the over.

What was your reaction when Sreesanth took that catch of Misbah-ul-Haq?

We just closed our eyes. When he caught it, everybody just started shouting, we went running on the ground. It is a feeling that I cannot express. It was one of the greatest things that happened, the T20 World Cup for the first time, and India has won it.

What are your initial thoughts and memories from the T20 World Cup?

It is one of the best things that happened to Indian cricket and to me as well as a coach. It gave me name and fame. We had just played one T20 game before going to the World Cup and players started believing in themselves. Then IPL came into existence. The players got money and if you look now IPL has changed the whole concept of Indian cricket and the cricketers.

When we look back now, it feels that it has changed Indian cricket. For a few, IPL is a shortcut to the Indian team, for others it is lifesaving as they are paid and they can look after their family. T20 World Cup has changed the lives of players, administrators and cricket as a whole.

What is your fondest memory from the tournament apart from winning the trophy?

Something that gives me goosebumps is when we returned to India and the reception we received. I have never seen such a reception. Mumbai never sleeps but that day the city was at a standstill. From the airport to the Wankhede stadium it took eight hours to reach the stadium. People were standing in the balconies, on the terraces, on roads and were greeting us.

Your thoughts on the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021?

Pressure will be there because we have been doing well. we are the number one team in the ICC ranking so people will have expectations because we have been playing the IPL for 14 years. I feel in T20s, you need to play your best game every day. Looking forward, I feel there are some exciting players in the team and I am sure the players will do well and win this World cup.

Who are your top three picks for the upcoming World Cup?

It is difficult to pick as a coach, as we say it is a team game and everyone needs to contribute. But Rishabh Pant will be exciting to watch out for as he is one of the best strikers in this format. Virat Kohli will be looking to go on a high note, it would be an exciting tournament for him. Bumrah will be very crucial because he is the main bowler who can win games through his bowling. Ravindra Jadeja can win you games with his all-rounder performances. The youngsters Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, I think they have a big role to play in this tournament.

Your thoughts on the India-Pakistan clash?

India-Pakistan is always a big rivalry. Over the years Pakistan has never won against us in any ICC event. So, the pressure is on them. We just need to take it as just another game and I believe that we will win. Their warm-up and preparation wouldn’t be great as compared to us. Our players will be playing in the IPL. There are no two ways that we will win the game.