Ranchi, Feb. 4: Sachin Tendulkar’s mere presence in the dressing room is enough to lift the morale of the players, feels Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Dhoni also urged the other players in the team to perform and take the pressure off the champion batsman.
“When Sachin is with the team, the morale of the players is very high. But it is not right to put pressure on him. All the players should perform and take the pressure off him,” said Dhoni.
The India skipper reiterated that the team would like to win the forthcoming World Cup for Tendulkar, who will, in all probability, be playing for the last time in cricket’s biggest event.
“Team India wants to give (this) World Cup to Sachin as a gift,” he said during the inauguration of the T20 Jharkhand Premier League (JPL) here on Friday.
In lighter vein, Dhoni said that he wants the 37-year-old Tendulkar to play in a few more World Cups. “God willing, Sachin can play in another three or four World Cups. If it happens the whole team will be happy,” he said.
Asked about the team’s preparations for the mega event, he said, “the team is ready for the World Cup, focusing on fitness and fielding.”
Dhoni also recollected the historic moment when Tendulkar notched up his 50th Test century. “It was a treat to watch him standing from the other end,” he said.
On Eden Gardens missing out on the India-England tie, he said he would miss the crowd and the atmosphere there.