The 2022 edition of T20 World Cup kicked off in Australia on Sunday (October 16) with the qualifying round matches.
The Super-12 round will get underway on October 22 with the Australia-New Zealand clash at SCG, while Team India will open their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan at the iconic MCG on October 23.
Ahead of the Super-12 stage, batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has said that it would be surprising if India don’t win this year’s T20 World Cup.
WATCH – “It’s a great honour,” Rohit Sharma excited about leading India for first time in World Cup
According to Gavaskar, the Men in Blue have left no stone unturned in their preparations for the marquee tournament. Before the World Cup, India defeated Australia and South Africa in a bilateral T20I series at home and came to Australia in the first week of October to acclimatize to the conditions.
“One thing for sure. If the Indian team does not win this T20 World Cup it won’t be for lack of preparation. Not only have they gone to Australia almost three weeks before their first game of the tournament, they are also playing practice games against good sides that should get them ready for the tournament,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-Day.
“The old saying, ‘if you fail to prepare then prepare to fail’ will not apply to this Indian team as, apart from these games in Australia, they also played six T20 matches at home and won four out of those to show that they are tuning in nicely for the big event," he added.
Despite having some of the top cricketers in their ranks, Team India have failed to win an ICC tournament since 2013.
While Gavaskar acknowledged India’s problems in global events, he believes the blend of youth might help the team to secure wins this time around.
“India’s performance in the white ball bilaterals has always been good, be it at home or overseas, but it’s in the multilateral events that they have been stumbling. In the past it’s been because they have come cold into the event. But that isn’t the case this time around and that’s why, with a terrific blend of youth and experience, there’s optimism among Indian cricket fans that the Cup should be coming home."
He further mentioned that despite losing Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja to injuries, the atmosphere around the Indian team is positive.
“Yes, the other teams have also been playing practice games and that should hold them in good stead, but there’s a buzz about this Indian team despite the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja," he added.
Sunil Gavaskar believes that India will have an advantage in this T20 World Cup despite matches being played in Australia.
“The T20 game can turn on its head in a matter of deliveries so the best of teams can flounder and that’s why it’s hard to call any team the favourite. The host country are also the defending champions so they obviously will have the slight edge that familiarity with conditions and pitches give any home team plus the crowd support.
“The Indian team is blessed that it gets support anywhere they play and so even overseas they have tremendous cheer from their fans. That can also be pressure, but then, what is international sport where the best of one country play the best of the other and what else is that but pressure and more pressure," he stated.
(With Mid-Day inputs)
