Former India cricketer Suresh Raina has asked the players who compete in the ICC t20 world cup, for outgoing Twenty20 captain Virat Kohli to win the coveted trophy, the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) would have given the cricketers the right kind of build-up for the mega event.
Captain Kohli has decided to step down as India T20 captain after the T20 World Cup, although he has said that he will continue to lead the country in Tests and One Day Internationals.
“For India, the message in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is simple – do it for Virat Kohli. This will probably be his last chance in this tournament as captain, so it is very important for him to give us all the confidence that we can do that and be behind him for us,” Raina said in his statement to the ICC. written in the column.
“India fans can’t wait for the T20 World Cup to start for this reason. We have the players, we have the pace – we just need to go out there and execute now. All our players have recently played the Indian Premier League in the UAE and they have played themselves in top form with eight or nine matches in this environment.”
Raina felt that the grind of the IPL would give the Indian players an edge, given that they had played some really tough matches and would have gotten used to the hot and humid conditions in the UAE.
“It (IPL) gives India an edge over all other teams and makes them one of the biggest favorites to win the T20 World Cup in my opinion. The conditions in UAE are very similar to what we play in India and Pakistan. This is a good opportunity for the Asian teams to come and play their natural game.
“We have to remember that there are many other good teams in the tournament. Pakistan, Australia and England are also looking very good and anything can happen in T20 cricket.”
Raina, who has played over 200 ODIs, 78 T20Is and 18 Tests, feels the key to India’s success in the tournament is to do well at the top of the order.
“For me, the key to India’s batting success lies in the top three. Rohit Sharma is a gun player – he has had a stellar record in ICC events in the past and has had a stellar IPL. We need Rohit, KL Rahul and Virat to bat for 15 overs and stay on stage. They can set the pace for the Indian team by doing that.”
“There are a lot of power combinations in the middle order and of course Rishabh Pant is going to play a key role there. Hardik Pandya is also very capable as a power hitter. But if the top three are still in that phase of the innings, there is no target India cannot chase.
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