Flight booked for game against grounded Pak
Mumbai: With his team taking off like a fighter jet in the build-up to the T20 World Cup, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav is sky high on confidence and sees the side soaring at cricket’s biennial showpiece.
Speaking at the BCCI headquarters here on Captains’ Day, Surya said the Blues were shining bright and could put any team in shade on their day. “We have been playing a good brand of cricket for the last 2-3 years, it’s got a lot to do with mindset. Earlier, we used to play bilateral (series) differently than ICC tournaments, but now, be it an ICC event or (the) Asia Cup or even a bilateral (match), we try to play in the same manner,” the 35-year-old explained on Thursday.
That’s because the dressing room code has changed, courtesy coach Gautam Gambhir. “The main thing is the atmosphere that he has created in the dressing room ‑ that personal milestones should be kept aside for team goals. For example, in the last match (against New Zealand) in Thiruvananthapuram, Ishan was in his 90s and brought up his hundred with a six,” Surya pointed out.
“The dressing room atmosphere is very light with good team dinners and going out for movies together… all these things help a lot,” he added.
The skipper did not consider dew as a factor at all in World Cup games. “That’s not in our control,” he said, adding “but we are doing well while putting runs on the board and defending them. We are chasing well too. The game has advanced so much that we prepare for any eventuality.”
The captain was all praise for Hyderabad batter Tilak Varma, who came back strong after an injury. “Tilak got a break (he could not play the New Zealand series) and is now a different player altogether, evident from his recent knocks for the senior as well as ‘A’ sides (in the warm-up matches),” he said.
Asked to comment on the high-scoring matches, he quipped: “The game is moving very fast. I am very happy as a batter but feel for my bowlers. But that’s great entertainment for the crowd.”
Bags packed for Pak
The Indian captain evaded the controversy surrounding Pakistan’s selective participation, but said his team was ready to meet the arch-rivals on field. “Pakistan’s decision (not to play against India) is not in my control. We have been told we have a game on February 15 (vs Pakistan in Colombo, Sri Lanka) to play. Our flight is booked and we are going there,” he snapped before rubbing it in by saying “In the (recent) Asia Cup we played them (Pak) thrice (and beat them every time) on neutral grounds. We are ready to play them again.”
However, he felt for Pakistan’s players. “It’s a difficult call for them as well… they cannot control the decisions of their government,” Surya said.
