3 months ago
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Former skipper Sourav Ganguly connected Sunday (February 8, 2026) backed the Indian team’s assertive batting template successful the T20 World Cup, saying top-order players similar Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma should not curb their attacking instincts adjacent connected two-paced surfaces.
India was reduced to 77 for six aft opting to onslaught from the outset earlier recovering to station a competitory full successful their tourney opener against USA, a signifier Ganguly said is an inevitable by-product of modern T20 cricket.
“That’s what T20 cricket is — you person to support hitting. They are precise bully players, and they person been doing this for a agelong play of time. It volition happen,” helium said.
“There volition beryllium immoderate games wherever they miss retired due to the fact that they are quality beings, and erstwhile you support hitting each the time, you volition miss,” Ganguly said connected the sidelines of the Bharat Corporate Premier League (BCPL) Season 4 successful New Delhi.
“This is simply a precise almighty team, a precise beardown squad with equilibrium — bowling, batting, rotation bowling, fielding. As the World Cup goes on, they volition get amended due to the fact that erstwhile you get into the tournament, the bushed comes back. I see India arsenic favourites, and they volition beryllium a precise hard broadside to beat.”
India’s numbers underline the occurrence of that approach. Since 2023, they person breached the 200-run people 20 times successful T20s, scoring astatine 9.69 runs per implicit and hitting six each 10.99 balls — the champion among teams successful the competition.
Recent chases of 153 successful 10 overs and 208 successful 15 overs against New Zealand showcased however rapidly they tin displacement gears.
Ganguly praised skipper Suryakumar Yadav, describing him arsenic a proven match-winner susceptible of taking games distant connected immoderate fixed day.
“He came into this tourney with a batch of runs against New Zealand... I deliberation helium is simply a champion T20 player. The mode helium hits it to antithetic parts of the crushed is unbelievable,” helium said.
“This is specified a squad wherever idiosyncratic volition basal up connected immoderate fixed day, and arsenic I said, each of them tin instrumentality the crippled away,” Ganguly said.
India was without gait spearhead Jasprit Bumrah against the USA owed to an upset stomach, but erstwhile India accelerated bowler Zaheer Khan said the broadside showed its extent by responding efficaciously to the challenge.
“Bumrah not being determination was evidently a interest that everyone indispensable person been reasoning about, but (Mohammad) Siraj stepped up. That is thing which is important arsenic a team, a feline who has not been portion of the squad getting a call-up and responding successful that manner,” Zaheer said.
When asked astir Bumrah’s usage, including whether helium should vessel 3 overs successful the powerfulness play, Zaheer suggested India would beryllium amended served by managing his workload done the innings.
“I deliberation they person experimented with that, and that is simply a bully question. Bumrah has been doing the bulk of the workload successful presumption of creating impact. You tin usage him immoderate which mode you like, but you person to look astatine the full set-up. I deliberation helium is amended disconnected astatine the backmost extremity of the innings, and that is thing you volition spot going forward.”
Zaheer besides backed Arshdeep Singh’s continued evolution, saying the left-arm pacer has the tools to support improving.
“Arshdeep, arsenic you mentioned, has been phenomenal. Swing is his strength. He has variations and is processing precise good arsenic acold arsenic I americium concerned. It’s astir making usage of the opportunities,” Ganguly said.
Ganguly besides expressed astonishment astatine Pakistan’s determination to backmost retired of a World Cup fixture, stressing that each lucifer carries significance. “I’m truly amazed with Pakistan backing retired of the World Cup. You travel to a World Cup to triumph it, and each constituent is important. You can’t suffer points successful a World Cup, truthful I’m a small amazed — but that’s the determination they’re taking,” helium said.
Pakistan’s authorities had announced that the squad would not instrumentality the tract for the February 15 clash successful Colombo portion continuing to play the remainder of the tournament.
Earlier, Zaheer highlighted the increasing entreaty of the Bharat Corporate Premier League. “It is simply a precise bully platform. I deliberation for those who are successful emotion with cricket but get engaged with life, an accidental similar this tin beryllium precise inspirational,” helium said.
