“Humne to mana nahi kiya hai khelne ke liye. Udhar se mana kiya hai. ICC ne fixture diya hai, BCCI aur government ne decide kiya hai neutral venue. Humari to flight booked hai Colombo ki, hum to jaa rahe hai. Baaki toh dekh lenge.” (We haven’t said no. They have said no. The ICC has released the fixtures. The BCCI and the government have decided on a neutral venue. Our flight to Colombo is booked. We will be going. The rest we’ll see.)
“Team ke andar discussion ekdum clear hai. Pehle 7 taareekh ko match khelenge. Phir uske baad Dilli jayenge. Phir uske baad Colombo jayenge.” (The discussions within the team are very clear. First, we play the match on the 7th. Then we go to Delhi. After that, we go to Colombo.)
While the cricketing world remains in uproar over Pakistan’s boycott of the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match scheduled for February 15 in Colombo, India captain Suryakumar Yadav chose to keep it simple – seedhi baat, no bakwaas (straight talking, no nonsense).
The 35-year-old was his usual jovial self as he addressed the media alongside the captains of South Africa, USA, Canada and Namibia on Thursday.
Suryakumar admitted that resolving the impasse was far from easy but added that the authorities would be working behind the scenes to arrive at a solution acceptable to all stakeholders.
“It’s not my call. I am sure they must be working out something. It is a difficult call for them.
“Their decision (Pakistan’s call to boycott the game) is not in my control. We have been told we have to play a game on the 15th. We played them thrice in the Asia Cup. We played well,” he said.
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The Indian captain’s comments were on the lines of those from his Pakistan counterpart Salman Ali Agha, who had said in the captains’ meet a few hours earlier in Colombo that playing India at the T20 World Cup was not in their control.
“The India game, it’s not in our control. It’s a government decision, and we respect that. Whatever they are going to say, we do that,” Agha said.
Away from the Pakistan clash, India have a couple of on-field concerns, including the availability of Washington Sundar for the tournament. The skipper revealed that the off-spin all-rounder was nearing full fitness, with the management prepared to remain patient.
“Tilak Varma couldn’t play the New Zealand series. When he came back, he was a different player. He played an A game as well and played yesterday.
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“We are hoping that with Washington also, it is the same. We spoke to him. He is doing really well. He is almost there. We want him to be fully fit when he comes back. You have to be patient with him,” Suryakumar added.
Control the controllables
Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni recently spoke about the dew factor in matches and how it had troubled him during his playing days, underlining the importance of the toss.
Suryakumar felt it was an uncontrollable element of the game, adding that the team had played enough matches under such conditions and that the focus should remain on playing good cricket.
“Dew is something that is not in our control. Sometimes, you can win the toss and field first; there may not be as much dew on the field. We are doing well batting first and chasing totals as well. There haven’t been a lot of issues either way. The situation we find ourselves in – whether it is a league game, a semi-final or a final – we will take a call on that day,” he said.
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“If we need to bat first, we’ll bat first. It is better to have runs on the board. We have played many matches when there has been dew, so we have an idea about it. I feel the dew factor is something we need to remove from the discussion and instead focus on playing good cricket.”
No team has ever retained the T20 World Cup, and India – boasting arguably their most destructive squad – will have the chance to lift the title on home soil. Suryakumar acknowledged that there were huge expectations but stressed that there were other teams capable of winning on their day.
“The way we have been playing, it looks like that (the pressure is on us). But on a given day, you have to bring your A game. You have to play good cricket. There are 19 strong teams in the competition, and I am sure every game will be very important.”
On a personal note, he expressed relief at rediscovering his form ahead of the tournament.
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“Very relieved. Idhar hi baith ke bola tha. (I had said it sitting right here). I remember saying – not out of form, out of runs. But yeah, it’s always good to be back amongst the runs, especially before a big tournament,” Suryakumar said.
