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Mindset shift: What makes India the team to beat
India's strong form and team mentality under coach Gambhir make them a formidable contender in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, aiming for back-to-back titles.
Mumbai: What makes India the team to beat at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup? It’s not just about being the defending champions and the home advantage. Rather, it is their current form that has placed everyone on high alert.
Rohit Sharma’s batch of the 2024 edition played flawless cricket on the way to the T20 World Cup title two seasons ago. The benchmark set then could not have been easy to match especially after the retirement of top pros Rohit, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja.
But Suryakumar and coach Gautam Gambhir have not just continued the team’s successful run, they have even managed to raise the standard. New Zealand will vouch for it.
Certainly no pushovers, the Kiwis found themselves out of depth against a scintillating India side in the just concluded five-match T20I series. The home side then sent out a warning with a stunning batting display (240/5) in their warm-up game against South Africa on Wednesday.
A day before beginning their title defence against United States of America at the Wankhede Stadium, captain Suryakumar spelt out their success mantra.
“We have been playing a good brand of cricket from the last 2-3 years, but I think we have changed our thinking,” Suryakumar said during the Captains’ Press Conference here at the BCCI headquarters when asked about India’s mentality. “Earlier, we used to play bilateral series differently than the ICC tournaments, but now, be it an ICC event or Asia Cup or even a bilateral game, we try to play in the same manner.”
“This is why, when we went to play the 2024 T20 World Cup, it did not feel any different and rather, it felt like we’ve been playing this way for an entire year,” he added.
Since winning the 2024 title, India have been on an unbeaten run of eight T20 series. While they have been too strong at home, the cycle includes tough wins in South Africa and Australia after starting with a series win in Zimbabwe.
“Even now, the kind of cricket we’ve been playing for the last year, we will try to play the same way (in the T20 World Cup). And if we play well, the result will also be on our side,” Suryakumar said.
Under coach Gautam Gambhir, the main focus has been on team goals and keeping the personal milestones away, said the India captain.
“The main thing is the atmosphere that he (Gambhir) has created in the dressing room — that it’s a team game. He has infused that personal milestones should be kept aside and the team goals are more important. It’s been one year since he has been working on it.”.
“For example, in the last match in Thiruvananthapuram, Ishan (Kishan) was in his 90s and he completed his hundred with a six. That is one thing he (Gambhir) is trying in the dressing room, keeping the personal milestones away and focusing on what’s the team’s goal.”
India had some injury concerns but things are falling into place in time for the tournament. Tilak Varma has fully recovered after being out of action for a month following an injury during the Ranji Trophy game early in January for which he had to undergo testicular surgery. He made an impressive 45 (19 balls) at No 3 in the warm-up game at the DY Patil on Wednesday.
Varma is important for the balance of the side, lending solidity to a power-packed batting line-up. Captain Suryakumar also provided an injury update on spin-all-rounder Washington Sundar’s, saying his recovery was also on track.
“Tilak Varma got a break, he couldn’t play the New Zealand series and when he came back, he was a different player. He played a game (warm-up match between India A and USA) and also yesterday (on Wednesday against South Africa). We are hoping Washington will also be (go) the same (way),” Suryakumar said.
“He is doing really well. He is almost there. We want him to be fully fit when he comes back... 100 per cent, we will be patient with him,” he added.
Playing in the sub-continent, the toss becomes a big factor because for evening sessions, the conditions for bowling become challenging in the second innings owing to the dew factor. India were not fussed about bowling with the wet ball as the India captain said he preferred to having runs on the board.
“Having runs on board is always better. Also, we have played a lot of matches where dew was a factor. (We have) so many players in the team who have been playing for so many years, both franchise and international cricket,” Suryakumar said. “We should rather take the dew factor out of the game now and we should focus on playing good cricket. The game has advanced, you prepare for the dew factor. It all boils down to how you prepare.”
