Good defence can win matches, says Rupinder

“The 40-day camp here in Bangalore involved a lot of hard work and mental conditioning. We have a new Analytical Coach (Hans Streeder) who has brought in some key changes in strategies. We worked a lot on specific areas and tried out new combinations during match practice. There has been a lot of emphasis on strong defence and I believe it will come down to how we implement these strategies in Malaysia that will help us win matches,” Rupinder said. 

The Indian team is slated to leave from Bengaluru on April 22 for Malaysia, where the tournament is scheduled to be held from April 29 to May 6, 2017. 

The 27-year-old will be leading India’s defence along with Harmanpreet Singh, Gurinder Singh, Pardeep Mor and Surender Kumar. Being the senior most in the back line, Rupinder would shoulder the responsibility of guiding these youngsters through the tournament, a role he is happy to take on. “Yes, I do have an added responsibility of guiding these youngsters but I also believe they are ready to take on individual responsibilities. Each of them know what they exactly need to do and how they need to execute the plans we have against each team. I think they are ready to take on big teams,” expressed a confident Rupinder.