India take nothing for granted against Afghanistan
India, with a squad packed with players who have spent the last few weeks on show in the IPL, elected not to participate in the World Twenty20 warm-up matches. No matter, they’ve got Afghanistan first up and that should be a chance for MS Dhoni’s team to ease into the competition, and gel again as a unit now they’ve parted ways with their respective IPL franchises.
It’s been a quick turnaround for some, Dhoni had just a day off after Chennai Super Kings won the IPL final on Sunday before he turned his mind to the World Twenty20 campaign, but while the Indian players may not be rested, their skills should be sharp after the IPL season.
India may be rated as one of the top chances to win the World Twenty20 this year, but every journey starts with a single step and Dhoni is not about to take that for granted.
“If you ask me, I would not consider our opening match against Afghanistan as a practice game. I don’t take my opponents lightly. At the end of the day you have to win whichever team you play,” said Dhoni at a pre-tournament press conference, while admitting he didn’t know much about the Afghanistan side.
The India skipper is not alone in that, Afghanistan will represent a relatively unknown opponent for most sides in the competition. What will not have escaped attention though are Afghanistan’s two recent victories over Ireland, in the World Twenty20 qualifiers (pictured) and in the warm-ups in the Caribbean.
Ireland were a surprise package in England last year, when they reached the Super Eight stage of the competition, and Dhoni will be keen to ensure Afghanistan don’t pull off the same stunt at his team’s expense this year.
If they do, then South Africa await on Sunday in what will effectively be an elimination match for India.
Even with Sachin Tendulkar sticking by his decision not to play Twenty20 international cricket for India, Dhoni’s team have no excuses, not even exhaustion from the IPL, if they are caught short by Afghanistan in their World Twenty20 debut.
Tags: