T20 World Cup
Defending champions India national cricket team are gearing up for a high-voltage encounter against arch-rivals Pakistan national cricket team in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, with players expressing confidence and excitement ahead of the much-anticipated fixture in Colombo on February 15.
The match was briefly under uncertainty after Pakistan initially announced a boycott of the clash against India. However, the Government of Pakistan made a U-turn on Monday and directed its national team to take the field for the scheduled group-stage encounter in Colombo, clearing the way for one of cricket’s biggest rivalries to unfold once again.
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Speaking to reporters on the eve of India’s group-stage match against Namibia in New Delhi, star batter Tilak Varma shared his enthusiasm about the upcoming contest.
“We are excited to play. We got to know that the match was going to be played yesterday. We are ready to play. We are keeping an eye on all the teams. All the players and team members are excited to play. We are in the match zone,” he said.
India enter the clash with psychological advantage, having defeated Pakistan three times in their previous encounters last year, including a victory in the T20 Asia Cup final. The team will look to continue that dominance when they face their rivals in Colombo.
The Sinhalese Sports Club wicket in Colombo has offered assistance to spinners in the early matches of the tournament. Pakistan’s spinners have already scalped 13 wickets across their first two group-stage fixtures, underlining the challenge India could face in subcontinental conditions.
On the pitch conditions in Colombo, Varma said the team is focused on adapting as per the situation. “We are going match by match. We will see how the wickets work in Colombo. We have technology and will see how the wicket behaves,” he added.
India have made a strong start to their title defence, registering a 29-run victory over the USA in Mumbai. Captain Suryakumar Yadav led from the front in that match, remaining unbeaten on 84 off 49 balls to guide his side to a competitive total and eventual win.
Reflecting on the team’s form and their ambitions in the tournament, Suryakumar expressed strong belief in his squad’s ability to go all the way.
“If you prioritise team goals ahead of personal milestones, more often than not, I feel the team will be in a dominant position. Only we can stop ourselves from overanalysing or slipping into a negative mindset, but I believe this team is fully prepared for the T20 World Cup. I don’t see any reason why we can’t go all the way,” Suryakumar Yadav said on JioStar.
He also highlighted the team culture that has helped India maintain an impressive win percentage over the last 18 months.
“Honesty and freedom of speech are essential to a team sport. It’s important to listen to other players, as they may have insights that could benefit the team. Also, giving everyone the freedom to play their natural game, which has helped them reach this level, is key to maintaining a healthy team atmosphere. Looking at our win percentage over the last one or two years, which has been impressive, we must be doing something right,” he added.
Before heading to Colombo for the Pakistan fixture, India will face Namibia in their second group-stage match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. After the Pakistan clash on February 15, the team will travel to Ahmedabad for their final group-stage game against the Netherlands on February 18.
India’s squad for the tournament includes Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson and Washington Sundar.
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