Suryakumar Yadav says India ready for Pakistan
New Delhi: Captain Suryakumar Yadav said in Mumbai on Thursday the side is fully prepared for the challenges in the ICC T20 World Cup starting on February 7.
Expectations from the Indian side are high, even though there is a stark comparison with the side which won the trophy in the West Indies in July 2024. Skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli quit the T20 format after the triumph.
Hype and hope go together, though, this time, India versus Pakistan has become a hot topic of discussion. Officially, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not sent a formal communication on “not playing India” in Colombo on February 15.
However, the politicians in Pakistan have said they will boycott the match against India.
As this is just a video byte and not an officialemail, nobody is paying much attention to these ‘games’ from the Pakistanis, who wish to express solidarity with Bangladesh. Bangladesh withdrew from the World Cup last week, a decision which was purely political.
Surya spoke well on the challenges in the World Cup, notably the dew factor as well. It is a point which had been highlighted by former India captain MS Dhoni as well in an interview two days back.
Dhoni, winning captain in 2007 said the Indian team is solid but the dw factor is irksome. On facing Pakistan, Surya said: “Their (Pakistan’s) decision is not in my control. I wish I could take that decision.”
Surya spoke on how India have beaten Pakistan regularly, with back-to-back wins in the Asia Cup last year being exceptional.
Sharing his thoughts on the challenges for the organisers, Surya was forthright.
“It is not an easy job (for the ICC). I am sure they must be working out something. If we are told the fixture is ready, we will definitely go and play (in Colombo),” said Surya.
Relations between India and Pakistan in cricket have deteriorated in the last one year.
The boiling point first came when India refused to fly to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy in 2025. Indeed, the BCCI
did flex its muscles and the matches were moved to Dubai, where Pakistan was the host. Under Rohit Sharma, India emerged champions.
In the Asia Cup, a T20 format event held last year in Dubai, India were again impressive. However, players from India and Pakistan had stopped h ndshake and good vibes. This time around, what happens before the tie on February 15 is uncertain.
