Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra reckons the upcoming T20 World Cup will present India with a lot of opportunities. India, the reigning champions of the tournament, will look to defend their title in their own conditions.
If Suryakumar Yadav’s team successfully goes all the way, they would become the first team to defend their title. Furthermore, they would become the first team to win the trophy for the third time and the first team to lift the trophy at home. India previously won the T20 World Cup title in 2007 and 2024.
“What are the opportunities? You can become the first team to defend the title. You can become the first team to win the trophy for the third time. You can become the first team to lift the trophy at home. This is difficult, and that’s why it hasn’t happened thus far. This is a very mercurial and volatile format. Things go up and down here,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
Chopra highlighted how difficult it is for a particular team to defend their T20 World Cup title.
“Any team comes anytime and changes things. New stories are written. Therefore, teams are not able to repeat their success, although we have seen Australia winning three consecutive ODI World Cups. Not even one team has been able to defend their title here. That means it’s difficult. If challenge is written on one side of the coin, opportunity is written on the other,” he observed.
The renowned commentator backed India to continue playing with their aggressive approach in the World Cup.
“What will be our strategy? It’s very simple, swing the bat and hit sixes. We have started playing with that philosophy. I feel the opposing teams might also be scared now, that if they make India bat first, they make 250, and if they bat first themselves, they would have to defend with a wet ball, and this team chases 150 runs in 10 overs, and 220-230 runs in 15 overs, that too against New Zealand,” he said.
“I feel the Indian team’s only strategy would be, ‘Let’s not compromise on this brand of cricket.’ Your fear reaches the ground before you come, and that’s a huge thing. In strategy, Abhishek Sharma to be that aggressor, and Tilak Varma and Rinku Singh could possibly be your pillars around whom you can make your game plan. Both of them are also capable of hitting sixes,” Chopra observed.
India will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA on February 7.
