'They have taken a giant leap': Rohit Sharma credits ISL for the improvement in Indian football

Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma on Thursday said Indian Super League (ISL) has helped the national football team take giant strides at the world stage. Rohit added the Indian team has gained in confidence and backed them to perform well in upcoming tournaments.

Rohit Sharma praises the Indian football team

"They have taken a giant leap in where they are at this moment," he said at an event here.

"The ISL has played a huge part in that. The most important thing is for people to get exposure. Even for us in cricket, when the emergence of IPL happened, a lot of our local players got exposure playing with international stars. That is what the leagues in India are doing," Rohit said. In June, the Indian team emerged victorious in the Intercontinental Cup as well as the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship. Rohit said the team will improve further with more exposure.

Rohit roots for Indian football teams to lock horns with top-tier European teams

"I would love for them to play against one of the top European teams and go neck-and-neck. Whenever I see them play, they look quite confident. Definitely, they have got a lot of skills as well," he said.

"It is just about exposure. The more exposure they get by playing in Europe and other parts of the world, they are only going to get better," Rohit added. India will next participate in the King's Cup in Thailand prior to the Asian Games in September-October.