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The former Indian cricketer, Suresh Raina, felt confident about the chances of the Indian cricket team in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 during a media event. The 37-year-old also remarked that India should get used to the weather conditions and the drop-in pitches, which will be served up during the ICC tournament, which is set to be played in the USA and the Caribbean.
India are placed in Group A of the T20 World Cup 2024 alongside their arch-rivals Pakistan, one of the hosts the USA, Canada, and Ireland. The opening match in the tournament for the Indian cricket team will happen against Ireland on June 5, at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in East Meadow, New York, the USA.
While speaking to the media at the Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh's Chhattisgarh Premier League (CPL), Suresh Raina addressed how the Indian cricket team is shaping up ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024. He said, as per ANI, “The team is balanced. Rohit Sharma is the captain. Virat Kohli is in fine form and Suryakumar Yadav is in good touch. Two left-arm pacers are going, who can bowl in powerplay. Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja are going.”
“However, matches there are at 10:00 AM in the morning. The wickets are also drop-in. The team should get used to these wickets and conditions as soon as possible,” he added. Notably, India will be playing the majority of their group stage matches in the T20 World Cup 2024 at a makeshift venue in New York City, which will have drop-in pitches, bringing its own unique challenges for the players.
Temporary poor form does not make someone bad: Suresh Raina on Hardik Pandya
Apart from talking about India’s chances in the T20 World Cup 2024, Suresh Raina also answered the questions of the reporters in regard to Hardik Pandya’s lack of consistency going into the tournament. The 37-year-old said, “He (Hardik Pandya) has done really well (for India). Temporary poor form does not make someone bad. When he will perform well against Pakistan in the World Cup, everyone will praise him.”
The first match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 will be played between the USA and Canada on June 1, at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas, the USA.
