India could dominate in the World Cup, set to be hosted in West Indies and USA between June 2 and June 29, if they can perform well in the initial overs upfront.
In an exclusive chat with TimesofIndia.com, the 1983 World Cup winner hailed Rishabh Pant, dubbing him as the team’s X-factor.
Lal stated, “In a word, it (Pant’s comeback) is superb. If India wants to win (the T20 World Cup), he needs to perform well. It is as simple as that. He is a class act. At the moment, he is one of the top batsmen in the world. It depends on him, what position the team gives him, and how they use him.”
Having seen Shivam Dube flourish in the Indian Premier League this season, Lal has supported the selection of the Chennai Super Kings all-rounder over Rinku Singh, who has failed to make the headlines, somewhat due to limited opportunities, at Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024.
Thus, Lal stated, “I think Shivam Dube has done quite well recently. And thus, the selection is ideal for me. He is the best hitter of the ball (at the moment). And that’s why I think they have picked Dube ahead of Rinku Singh.”
Despite questioning KL Rahul’s complete exclusion from the T20 World Cup squad, Lal has expressed his satisfaction with Sanju Samson‘s selection as he told TimesofIndia.com, “I am happy with Sanju Samson’s selection because he has worked quite hard. He has been very consistent. The only thing that has gone against him is that he has not had enough chances at the international level. Otherwise, look at his batting, he is quite strong. KL is also very talented, and there is no doubt about that. It (not selecting Rahul) is another mysterious case.”
“The game is won on the front when the top batsmen and bowlers play well. For the bowlers, if you don’t get wickets early on and then allow opponents to score runs against you, then that haunts you all the game. The same goes with the batsmen. The first six and last three-four are very important overs. That is the position where you would have to cash in. If you are not good during that phase, you may pay the price,” opined the former all-rounder.
India’s schedule for the T20 World Cup 2024 includes matches against Ireland (June 5), Pakistan (June 9), the USA (June 12), and Canada (15), all to be played in New York and Florida.
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