Former head coach Ravi Shastri firmly believes that India will be a “serious challenger” in next year’s T20 World Cup due to a strong nucleus in the shortest format but reminded that rising to the occasion in knockout games is a must to emerge triumphant.
It has been more than a week since Australia trumped India in what turned out to be a one-sided final in Ahmedabad, with the country’s cricket fraternity still reeling from the outcome, given that the hosts had a 10-match unbeaten run going into the title clash.
Shastri said India has found a nucleus of young players ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup, to be played in the Caribbean and the USA from June 4 next year.
“It was heartbreaking, but a lot of our guys will learn. The game moves on, and I see India winning a World Cup very soon,” Shastri said. “It might not be a 50-overs one that easily because you have to rebuild the side, but in 20-overs cricket, the very next one, India will be a very serious challenger because you have got the nucleus. This is a shorter format of the game. Your focus should be on that.”
With the presence of impact players such as Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rinku Singh, India has a strong T20 core.
Shastri admitted that it still hurts to recall that India, who were the strongest team in the competition, did not deliver in the final.
“To be honest, it still hurts from the outside that we could not win the cup because we were the strongest team.”
“Nothing comes easy — even the great man Sachin Tendulkar had to wait six World Cups to win one. You don’t win a World Cup easily; to win a World Cup, you have got to be damn good on that big day,” Shastri said during the registration launch of the Indian Street Premier League here.