Team India’s recent win at the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup was built on years of sustained efforts, belief, and visualisation techniques. Experts break down what visualisation entails, and how you can leverage it
The visualisation technique can be greatly helpful when you want to reach a clear goal, but with a stock of possibilities acting as obstacles to that goal. ILLUSTRATION/ISTOCK
Can you dream a record-breaking moment into reality? Proving the naysayers wrong, that’s exactly what cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues and her coach Prashant Shetty did, by harnessing the power of visualisation. Speaking post the team’s history-making win, Shetty revealed Rodrigues and he had spoken of this moment months in advance, visualising all possible scenarios and outcomes during training, and preparing accordingly. And so, her gameplay that night felt ‘almost like déjà vu’, with Rodrigues implementing everything she’d prepared for. Rodrigues isn’t the only Indian cricketer to discuss the power of visualisation — Virat Kohli too has discussed how he visualises difficult scenarios and formulates winning strategies. And, according to experts, it is a technique that can be adapted to a variety of scenarios, priming your brain and body to overcome obstacles.
‘Seeing’ victory
As psychotherapist Namrata Jain explains, visualisation is the conscious practice of imagining a desired result in vivid sensory detail. “I often link it to practising on the mind’s stage: you run the scene, and feel the sights, sounds and bodily sensations before it plays out in reality. It is a powerful technique because the brain subconsciously treats this imagination like a real experience — neural pathways strengthen by activating mirror neurons, confidence grows and stress reduces. On D-Day, this preparation helps you to notice chances more effectively, make calmer choices and perform with clarity,” she adds. Taylor Elizabeth, an emotional intelligence coach, agrees with these observations.
Jemimah Rodrigues poses with the trophy after India’s victory over South Africa in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup final at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday. PIC/ATUL KAMBLE
“Jemimah Rodrigues’ revelation about the team’s use of visualisation to a broadcaster, soon after they became world champions, is a reminder that success begins in the mind long before it unfolds on the field. What we witnessed wasn’t luck or chance — it was the result of belief, focus, and emotional alignment over a long period of time. This win symbolises the power of seeing it, feeling it and becoming it,” she notes. Simplifying the concept of visualisation, she likens it to a mental movie of your desired outcome. “When emotion meets imagination, the subconscious begins to act as if the vision is already real. That’s why visualisation is used by so many athletes, leaders and changemakers. What the mind rehearses with conviction, the body and spirit move toward with precision,” Elizabeth spells out.
Creating your own wins
Beyond the sports field, visualisation sharpens intention and reduces fear in everyday life and work, says Jain: “I ask clients to imagine conversations, presentations or routines with sensory detail…how the room looks, how their voice sounds, how their body feels calm. On the personal front, it can ease social anxiety, help you rehearse tough conversations or support habit changes by mentally practising small wins. Professionally it improves your preparation for interviews, pitches and leadership moments, and helps teams to align around a common outcome.”
Taylor Elizabeth
Elizabeth describes visualisation as emotional intelligence in practice. It helps to build confidence, self-trust and calm, while sharpening focus, enhancing communication, and preparing your mind to perform under pressure. That said, she warns that visualisation only works when it is grounded in self-awareness and matched with action: “Visualisation is not fantasy. It is focused mental rehearsal. Stay mindful of your emotions; if fear or comparisons arise, reframe them with compassion. The true beauty of visualisation lies not in wishing, but in seeing yourself as capable, calm, and ready long before the world sees it too.”
Namrata Jain
From theory to practice
Jain suggests a step-by-step routine to ease into the practice:
1 Mental rehearsal: Spend five to 10 minutes imagining a goal from start to finish, including sights, sounds and feelings.
2 Sensory layering: Add touch, smell or bodily sensations to deepen the image.
3 Outcome + process: Picture both the win and the steps you’ll take so the process is practical, not magical.
4 Script and cue: Write a short scene, or use a song or smell to trigger the image and create an anchor.
“Avoid rigid expectations that make you brittle if things change — the aim of the practice is to build flexibility and readiness. At the same time, don’t misuse visualisation as an avoidance strategy. As a safeguard, keep your practice short, ground yourself after sessions, and pair imagery with realistic planning and effort so visualisation supports, and does not substitute real preparation,” she summarises.
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