On Thursday, November 23, in Visakhapatnam, India will play the first game of a five-match T20I series against Australia, the team that defeated them in the ODI World Cup 2023 final on Sunday. Both teams’ squads have undergone significant changes. Only India’s Prasidh Krishna, Ishan Kishan, and stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav were involved in the World Cup, despite Australia having seven players that competed in the major competition.
Before the opening Twenty20 International, Suryakumar lauded regular skipper Rohit Sharma for his bold style during the World Cup, saying he hoped his team will adopt a similar mindset for the forthcoming series.
“One thing he did at the World Cup will serve as an example. What you witnessed was an entirely different Rohit Sharma. He truly embodied the principles we discussed in team meetings; he carried out the same actions in real life. We are quite pleased with him. We’ll attempt to follow his example as a leader, Suryakumar stated at the news conference held prior to the game.
With an impressive strike rate of 125.95 and 597 runs in 11 innings at an average of 54.27, Rohit Sharma concluded the 10-team event as the second-highest run scorer. In addition, he hit the most sixes of any player in the competition—31.
The 33-year-old stated that he wanted his team to be “selfless” and that the players understand his methods because they had spent many years in the Indian Premier League (IPL) playing alongside and against him.
“When I met the squad this afternoon, I advised them to be very unselfish when we walk into the field. Since I’m the type of man who prefers to focus on the team’s objective rather than his own accomplishments. I have consistently advised them to prioritize maintaining the staff before taking any further calls. They also know how I work because I’ve played with them quite a bit during the IPL and a few India games. And it wasn’t too tough, and we can’t wait to continue the series,” Suryakumar continued.
It is challenging. It’ll require time. Suryakumar Yadav
The flashy batter stated that recovering from the World Cup final loss will take some time. But Suryakumar and company are ready for the next T20I series, armed with a fresh group of players and “great energy”.
“It is challenging. Time will be needed for it. You can’t possibly wake up the following morning and forget all that transpired, in my opinion. It was a lengthy competition, and clearly we would have preferred to win, but as you well know, there is always hope because, as you wake up in the morning, the sun rises anew. It must be forgotten. Proceed now. This is a new team. We are very excited for this T20 series because of the new boys and their amazing energy,”Suryakumar Yadav remarked.
“Well, it’s certainly a little let down. But when you take a step back and reflect on the experience, you’ll see that it was an amazing campaign for every single person involved—support personnel as well as gamers. Every family in India, along with us, took great pride in the way each and every one of us showcased our talents on the ground. We can be really happy of the good, the kind of cricket we played throughout the competition,” he continued.
The USA and the West Indies will host the T20 World Cup in 2024. Against a confident opposition, the younger generation of Indian players picked for this series will try to impress the selectors.
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