Abu Dhabi: India vice-captain Rohit Sharma said that Wednesday’s match in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup against Afghanistan was about taking chances which came off well. He added that he and opening partner KL Rahul were talking about giving the team a good start. Sharma and Rahul’s 140-run partnership, the highest opening partnership for India across all editions of Men’s T20 World Cups, set the base for India winning by 66 runs, keeping their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive.
“Firstly, it was important for us to get off to a good start. If we talk about our batting, which didn’t happen in the first two games, that’s where we struggled a little bit to create that momentum in the first six overs. There was a conscious effort. We were talking, myself and KL (Rahul), that we need to get the team a good start and how we can do that is playing our game, whatever that may be or however we want to play,” said Sharma in the post-match press conference.
“We took our chances in the middle. It came off. That’s the whole game. You take your chances, it comes off. If it doesn’t come off, the batter who comes in has to start from scratch. We wanted to take some risk as it was important for us when the power-play is going on, you try and make the best use of that. We took our chances, it came off,” added Sharma, adjudged ‘Player of the match for his 47-ball 74.
Sharma spoke on how different was the approach from the Indian team while posting a gigantic 210/2 in 20 overs, with the top four batters chipping in with runs. “To be honest, it is very much that kind of situation for us. We know that if we lose any game from here on now, we are out of the tournament. So, we have to win everything. When you are in that kind of situation, you have to play fearlessly and not think too much about what is happening or what is happening elsewhere. I think the approach today from everyone was different.”
Sharma lamented that the refreshing approach could have come earlier in the tournament. “I wish it was in the first two games as well. But it didn’t happen and that can happen when you are on the road for a long time. Decision-making sometimes can be a problem and that is exactly what happened in the first two games. We are a very good team. It’s just that we were not good on that particular day against Pakistan and New Zealand. Today, the game we played, it pretty much sums it up that this is the kind of team we are. When we play fearlessly, this is what we get.”
He concluded by saying his best wishes for Rahul Dravid, appointed as the head coach of the Indian team when the match was on. “Congratulations to him for coming back in a different capacity in the Indian team. We look forward to working with him. He’s a stalwart of Indian cricket. It will be nice to working with him in the future.”
