Surya is a champion, a match-winner and he has shown you
India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey (left) and head coach Rahul Dravid during a practice session in Pune yesterday. Pic/AFP
Rohit Sharma & Co will be eyeing their fourth straight win of the tournament when they clash with Bangladesh at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Gahunje today. And to continue this winning momentum, India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey revealed that the team’s think tank has not even discussed the rotation of players despite having three world-class contenders in Suryakumar Yadav (World No. 1 T20I batsman), pacer Mohammed Shami and off-spinner R Ashwin in the 15-member squad.
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“Surya is a champion, a match-winner and he has shown you. He’s a 360 [degree] player that we’ve always been talking about and a difficult batsman to bowl. But it’s a difficult decision. Like Ashwin, like Shami, Surya is a quality player, [but] it’s difficult to get someone like him in. You need to create an opportunity, a place for him to play. I think he should be playing, but the question is, in whose place? That’s a challenge. But I’m sure he’ll get an opportunity. If an opportunity arises, he will get his game,” Mhambrey said during the pre-match press conference in reply to a question by mid-day on whether Suryakumar is ready for his maiden World Cup game.
On the decision to leave out bowlers of Shami and Ashwin’s stature, Mhambrey said: “It’s never an easy decision to leave out Shami. We had a clear chat with him. We pick a squad which is the best for that wicket. Someone like him is missing out, someone like Ash will miss out. That’s the communication we have with him, we are very clear. Difficult decision, honestly, even with the quality that he brings to the team, new ball, death, it is difficult to take that decision.”
Though Bangladesh managed just a solitary win in their three games in this tournament so far, Mhambrey, 51, insisted that Team India won’t take their opponents lightly. “What you really come out here to do is execute your plans to the best of your ability. Every game, every opponent is important. We’re not even looking at the side [opposition]. What we want to focus on is what we are going to achieve in this game. We have our plans and if we execute our stuff, we will win,” he said.
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