As Team India is being praised for their epic win against England in the recently concluded Lord’s Test match, the talks have also begun about India’s campaign opener in the upcoming T20 World Cup against arch-rivals Pakistan, after the schedule for the tournament was announced on August 17.
Even though many feel Pakistan will have an advantage having played a lot of cricket in the UAE, former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir feels Men in Blue will have a home advantage owing to the second-leg of Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) to be played in UAE.
“It is very difficult to predict in the T20 format but if you say Pakistan plays a lot of cricket in the UAE, I feel India will have the home advantage because you would have played one month of the IPL in the UAE,” Gambhir said on Star Sports.
“At the same time, when you go into the World Cup after playing a tournament of IPL's quality, you are better prepared. If you go after playing a bilateral series, you are not as well prepared as you are after playing the IPL,” he added.
Despite IPL being just a franchise-based domestic T20 league, the 2011 World Cup winner feels the quality of cricket seen in the tournament is equivalent to international cricket, probably even better.
“The intensity and quality of cricket in the IPL, I feel it is equivalent to any international cricket or even better. Imagine if you go into the World Cup after playing South Africa or Sri Lanka, or after playing the IPL, you will be better prepared by playing the IPL. So, the home advantage will be in India's favor as compared to Pakistan or any other country,” the southpaw concluded.
India will begin their campaign of the T20 World Cup 2021 with a match against Pakistan on 24 October at Dubai. After the match against neighbours, India will take on New Zealand, Afghanistan and two qualifiers in Group 2.
(With Times Now News Inputs)
