Hypnotherapy can help to improve a cricket player’s performance in cricket tournaments like in the  ICC Cricket World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy, ICC T20 World Cup, Indian Premier League (IPL) and other such tournaments. Hypnotherapy can help the cricketers to improve their skills and thus improve their performance on the field. Hypnotherapy can help improve the performance of the cricketers  in all the formats of the game- be it One Day International Cricket, Test Cricket or T20 cricket like the ICC T20 World Cup or IPL.

Hypnotherapy uses the power of the subconscious mind to improve a cricket player’s performance. In a hypnotic trance, the cricketer can visualise himself/herself doing the particular task in the best possible way. Hypnotherapy can help improve all the skills of a cricketer be it in batting, bowling, fielding or captaining the team.

A batsman, like MS Dhoni, can visualise himself playing his usual brand of aggressive cricket. He can practice all his favourite shots like his famous “helicopter shot” during the hypnotic trance. He can also learn how to play new shots while in a hypnotic trance.  He can practice the proper defence technique. If he has any particular weakness e.g. against the short pitched ball, he can practice the proper technique of leaving the short pitched ball or using the pull/hook shot to properly dispatch the ball to the boundary. He can also practice placing the ball in the gaps, running faster between the wickets, judge the best opportunity to take runs and improve the understanding with the batting partner. He can even see himself practice and improve his wicket keeping skills.

A spinner, like R Ashwin, can see himself bowling the best off-spin. He can practice bowling the perfect off-spinner or the “carrom” ball. A pace bowler, like Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, can see himself bowling the perfect swinging ball. He can practice the proper grip he needs to have on the ball. The bowler can see himself bowling a particular line and length to a particular batsman, exploiting the known weakness of the batsman so as to get the batsman’s wicket easily or restrict the number of runs he scores. He can also practice new variations while in a hypnotic trance.

A fielder can see himself practicing his fielding skills. A person who is standing at slip or in a close catching position can practice the proper stance and the proper technique for standing in such a fielding position so that they are ready to catch the ball when the opportunity arises. A fielder can also see himself diving at the ball and stopping the ball from crossing the boundary. He can also improve his catching skills no matter where he is fielding. The fielder can also practice throwing the ball properly to the wicket so as to get a direct hit or throw the ball properly to the wicket keeper or the bowler depending on the situation so that they can get the batsman run out.

The captain, like MS Dhoni, can practice his plan for the opposition team while in a hypnotic trance. He can see himself setting the proper field for the opposing batsman so as to restrict the runs being scored by the batsman or even get the batsman’s wicket easier. The captain can improve his captaincy skills, the way he communicates with his players, tell the bowlers what line/length he wants them to bowl based on the field setting, or tell the fielders where exactly to stand on the field.

The subconscious mind cannot differentiate between what is real and what is imagined. When a player visualises himself performing any of the tasks with full concentration and full belief in the process, the subconscious mind reacts as if the player is actually performing those tasks on the cricketing field. All the muscles of the body which are involved in the process also get exercised. In this way, the player’s cricket performance is improved.

Hypnotherapy can help a cricketer to improve his self-confidence and mental toughness. The batsman can be trained to focus only on the current ball the bowler is bowling and tune out all the sledging from the fielding team or the noise from the crowd. The cricketer can be given suitable triggers and anchors which he can use while on the field so as to instantly fill himself with the proper self-confidence if he is feeling low on the field due to some poor performance. The player can also be taught how to handle the pressure and keep the scoreboard ticking by placing the ball in the gaps and taking runs even if not able to score boundaries due to the good bowling and fielding of the opposing team.

The whole team can be guided to develop a proper team spirit so that they perform together as one unit and win against any opposition and at any venue whether at home or abroad. Each player in the team will know how to carry out their relevant role and implement the team strategy effectively on the field. In this way, hypnotherapy can help improve not only the individual performance but also the team performance.

Hypnotherapy can be used to improve a sportsman’s performance not only in cricket, but also in any other sport, be it an individual sport like tennis, badminton or table tennis; or a team sport like football, hockey or basketball.