I know many of you would say that being nervous in a match is normal, I know, I know, but I guarantee many of you don’t know how to overcome it.

Being nervous before a cricket match doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you care. It means the moment matters to you.

In this post, I’ll share 7 practical tips that helped me handle the nervousness and perform when it counts. These aren’t generic “just stay calm” tips – they’re real strategies I still use today, including the “I’m the man” mindset from Sir Vivian Richards.

Let’s get into it.

1. The Paradox – How I Scored 304 Runs Without Feeling Nervous Before a Cricket Match

I still remember when I first represented my district (Surat). I only played the selection matches that entire year – no club matches, no practice matches. Still, I managed to score 304 runs in 6 matches (6 innings) with a hundred not-out and a fifty. It was indeed a good year for me.

(I still didn’t get a chance to play in the Playing XI of the district team despite having the highest runs as a middle-order batter, but I’ll cover that topic in a personal experience post later.)

Now, focusing on the topic: Did I feel any nervousness at that time? Obviously NOT.

Why? Because at that time, I was simply enjoying the game and not thinking about the result at all. I wasn’t nervous before a cricket match, just enjoying without validation.

So what changed after so many years? My mind.
I always saw cricket as my end goal, my career. I’ve given it the top tier of my heart. That’s why whenever I didn’t perform, it hit me right in the heart and the brain. The stakes feel higher because the dream feels closer.

Looking back, being nervous before a cricket match only started when I began caring deeply about the outcome.

Note: Now, I don’t see it as the end goal, but it’s one of the key milestones I want to achieve.

2. The Feeling – “I’m the Man”

If you’ve seen the interview of the great Sir Vivian Richards with Virat Kohli, you’ll remember Sir Viv saying: “I believe that—I’m the man.” a reference to going to bat without a helmet and dominating the bowler. You can take the key line from here “I’m the man”, not like you go without a helmet next match 🙂

This attitude is rare. Only a few star players execute it – like Sir Viv Richards or Virat Kohli. Although it sounds very simple, telling your brain “I’m the man” or “I’m the main player of this team” – especially when you’re not in form – is one of the greatest things your brain can do for you.
Here you can see the video: When Virat Met Sir Viv.

Same with me. When I feel nervous before a cricket match, I whisper to myself: I’m the man.

To hit a brilliant shot just like Sir Viv or Virat Kohli, you have to know how to time the cricket ball.

3. Mindset Before Playing The Very 1st Ball

The “Fake It Till You Make It” Technique

Whenever I go to bat, I fake it like I already scored 100 and am batting from there (at the time of stepping in to the crease). Due to which I can control my nerves to some extent. Even you can do it.

Even if you’re nervous before a cricket match, faking confidence actually builds real confidence.

To bat well, first you would need a good bat. Here’s my blog on how to choose a cricket bat.

More Match Exposure

Also, if you are a beginner, and you always feel nervous before going to bat or bowl; So, then start playing as many matches as possible. It will help you in future, when you go for a selection match, it will help you to get into the match environment easily.

There still may be some sort of nervousness, just remember “I’m the man”.

4. The Meditation

Honestly, Meditation is one of the most precious things for me. It not only gives clarity but it also helps to keep focus, to be calm in any situation, and most importantly to be in present.

But you’ll ask me what to do before going to bat or bowl?

The Isolation Period (10-15 mins before): Before stepping onto the ground, I close my eyes and sit on the chair and do long breathing for 5-10 minutes, then I just visualize what I want to execute in the game. It’s about creating a bubble. I visualize specific plays – not the outcome of the game, but to execute the process that I learned.

If you’re nervous before a cricket match, 10 minutes of deep breathing will change everything.

5. BackUp Plan

I’ve seen many players playing cricket without any backup plan. What does that mean? They’re playing as if cricket is the only option for their life and nothing else.

Frankly speaking, some people say, “If you have one goal, devote everything to achieving it.”
And that’s True but also remember competition in cricket is different from any other field. Also, if you are very talented, it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll become a cricketer. I guess you get what I want to say.

Simply, what I’m saying is this: Cricket is played by many players, over 5 million (according to PubMed Central Article). There is no guarantee of becoming a cricketer, sometimes even after doing exceptionally well in domestic or club-level matches.

I’m not demotivating you as I am also playing cricket; I have to be cautious with my words as well as myself. I just want to give you a reality check about this.

Sometimes I feel my parents made the right decision for me – to get a good education. I’m going to hold a Bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering. Until 10th grade, I was thinking of doing some sort of distance learning or a mediocre degree just to get by.

But I still remember my father saying to me, “Have a good backup plan”.
That line hits me now.

Of course, there are exceptions. If your father or mother has a business and you have a backup through that, then you can do whatever you want. In my case, my father is a doctor, and I don’t have knowledge of that field, and I don’t want to get into that field – so it would be hard for me to pursue something related to it in the future.

Here’s the thing: If you have a good backup plan, you probably won’t think too much about results.

When you’re nervous before a cricket match, it’s often because you feel like everything depends on this one innings. A backup plan removes that weight.

Think this way – if you’re going out to bat and you believe cricket is your only option, you’re putting pressure on yourself. But if you have a solid backup plan, your mindset shifts. You might think: “Wow, I have a really good backup plan. Now I don’t have to rely entirely on my score.”

(Of course, I will still give my very best.)

So my recommendation is: have a backup plan.

6. Evolution

I still remember when I started playing normal practice matches – I used to focus only on my score and wickets.

Fast forward to today, I’ve gained clarity: whenever I play a practice match, I stay committed and implement what I practice in the nets.

Let me give you an example. Currently, I’m working on my bowling action, and I need to make sure I will execute the same action (that I’m learning) in the practice match. It sounds simple, but honestly, when you’re in a match, you feel the pressure to bowl a good spell or put up a good score. Because of that, we’re afraid to try the new things we’ve been working on.

Maybe in the first few matches, I won’t bowl well or bat well. But gradually, I’ll observe the change. And that change will help me in the future.

The same goes for you; you will have to commit to yourself to CHANGE.

7. Conclusion

Nervousness is common. Even the big names in cricket feel nervous before a match. But that doesn’t mean they perform poorly. They simply know how to overcome it and rise above.

Current example: Hardik Pandya (What a player and what an attitude toward the game). He’s been booed, criticised, and counted out – yet he delivers when it matters most. That’s not luck. That’s the mindset.

I’ve learned to tell myself “I’m the man” even when I’m out of form.

I’ve learned to isolate myself before the match, visualize the process, and focus on execution rather than outcome.

And most importantly, I’ve learned to have a backup plan – so the weight of a single innings never feels like the weight of my entire future.

Remember this: The goal isn’t to stop feeling nervous before a match. The goal is to perform despite the nerves.

Quick Takeaways: How to Stop Being Nervous Before a Match

• Fake a hundred – Tell yourself you’re already batting on 100 when you walk in
• Meditate for 10 minutes – Deep breathing + visualization works
• Say “I’m the man” – Even if you don’t believe it at first
• Play more matches – Familiarity kills fear
• Get a backup plan – Less pressure = better performance

So, what about you? Do you still get nervous before a match? How do you handle it? Let me know in the comments.