AHEAD of the upcoming season of the Vidarbha Premier League (VPL), T20 defending champions NECO Master Blaster captain Jitesh Sharma shared his thoughts on the pressure of defending a title, the mindset required to stay successful, and his expectations from the players this season. Having led the franchise to glory in last season Sharma believes that defending a championship brings a completely different mental challenge compared to chasing one. “Defending the title, gives extra unnecessary load, unnecessary attention towards winning the cup. I think chasing something always gives you a thought of what next move we should plan.

 

It changes your mindset,” said Sharma. “When you go for a win or chase a trophy, you always plan to win the game. But defending a title, if you think, it gives you a thought that I don’t want to lose. I don’t want to lose this trophy. If you think about how to win, it makes a huge difference in your mindset,” he added. Speaking about what the team needs to do in order to repeat last season’s success, the wicketkeeper-batter stressed the importance of consistency and discipline. “I think doing the same boring thing again and again,” Sharma remarked while explaining the process behind sustained success.