Rahul Dravid with captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli pose for a picture after Team India wins the ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2024 defeating South Africa in the finals.
| Photo Credit: ANI

As Rahul Dravid bids farewell to Team India, the legend said that during his tenure as head coach, he abhorred chopping and changing the side too much and always tried to be a foil for skipper Rohit Sharma so that he could devise his own winning strategies.

Dravid’s coaching stint came to an end with India winning the T20 World Cup in Barbados last week, defeating South Africa and bringing home the trophy for the second time after 2007.

“I’m someone who actually likes continuity and don’t like to chop and change too many things because I believe that creates a lot of instability and doesn’t create very good environment,” said Dravid in a video posted by BCCI on July 6.

“I feel that I am a part of the team whose responsibility is to create the right professional, safe, secure environment that doesn’t really have a fear of failure as such but is challenging enough to push people. That has always been my endeavour.” Dravid said that the period when the players were coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic was a tough one for him as he had just taken over as coach and “never envisaged” that he would have to work with half a dozen captains.

“One of the things that we really had to manage, especially in the early part of my coaching tenure here with India. We were at the back-end of the COVID restrictions. “We really had to manage their workloads through all the three different formats. There were a few injuries and it led to me working with something like 5-6 captains in the first 8-10 months of me being here.

“It was definitely something that I hadn’t envisaged, or not something that I thought about, but it just sort of organically happened.” Under Dravid’s tutelage, India thrashed England in the five-match Test series at home and the team also reached the 2023 ODI World Cup final.

While COVID put a lot of restrictions on players and they virtually lived out of a ‘bubble case’ at all times, the pandemic also had its up side as a lot of youngsters got a chance to be a part of the India team environment.

“The other thing that happened, which was very nice to see is, because we played so much of cricket after Covid and we had to cram in a lot of series, it meant that we had to almost, at times, have two teams playing at the same time in different parts of the world.

“Over the last 2-1/2 years, especially in white-ball cricket and lately towards the back-end (of my career) even in red-ball cricket, we were able to give a lot of youngsters a lot of opportunities, bring a lot of people into the side.” “Some of them developed and stayed on in the side a little bit longer, but some of them, they were there because at that point of time maybe some of the seniors were resting.” Dravid’s relationship with Indian stalwarts like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli dates back to the time when he was at the fag end of his cricketing career while the two were finding their feet in international cricket.

“I’ve really enjoyed working with Rohit, someone I knew as a young boy. Just to see him grow as a person and grow as a leader in Indian cricket, what someone like him has been able to contribute to the team over the last 10-12 years, both as a player and now as a leader, has been a real tribute to him and the effort that he’s put in.

“I’ve really enjoyed getting to him know as a person as well and enjoyed seeing his commitment and his care for the team; to just try and get the environment right where everyone feels safe and secure and enjoys themselves. It’s something that I’ll miss.

“Even with someone like Virat. In the initial days, just a couple of series with him as a captain, just a couple of matches. Getting to know him as well and to see how he goes about his business, the professionalism that he continues to display…his desired to improve, to get better. It’s been fascinating for me to watch.” Dravid said he always believed in the process because of which, at times, he was misunderstood as not being result-oriented.

“For me that’s (results), of course it’s important. I keep saying and people think, ‘Oh, I think result are not important’. Of course, results are important.

“I’m in the business to produce results. But it’s always like, as a coach, to think about what is it that I can control to help the results and at the end of the day our responsibility should be to try and help the captain deliver his vision and his philosophy of how he wants the team to play.” “Of course, to win cricket games is a given. You try to win as much as you can. You start with that. But I always look back on what is it that leads to the winning? How do you win more games and what is the process required to win more games? “For me, the vision was to try and get that process right. Ticking all of those boxes. ‘Are we challenging the players enough? Are we practicing well enough? are we prepared tactically, technically? Are we supporting the players as best as we possibly can, Are we creating the right environment? “These are the things I think that are important to tick before you get to the winning. The winning, hopefully, if you do a lot of these things, most of the time the winning will take care of itself.”

Had he not received a phone call from skipper Rohit Sharma, requesting him to continue after the ODI World Cup final defeat, Rahul Dravid wouldn’t have been a part of history, outgoing head coach revealed in his farewell speech post T20 trophy win.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Had he not received a phone call from India skipper Rohit Sharma, requesting him to continue after the ODI World Cup final defeat, Rahul Dravid wouldn’t have been a part of history, outgoing head coach revealed in his farewell speech post T20 trophy win.

Dravid’s tenure had ended with the ODI World Cup after India lost to Australia in the final despite a 10-match winning run, but the coaching staff got an extension till the end of the T20 World Cup.

While Dravid has not reapplied for the role after India’s second T20 World Cup win, he mentioned Rohit’s role in urging him to continue as the coach during his speech in the Kensington Oval dressing room after the team’s win on Saturday.

“Ro, thank you very much for making that call to me November and asking to continue,” Dravid said in a video shared by BCCI on July 2. “I think it’s been such a privilege and a pleasure to work with each and everyone of you, but Ro, also thanks for the time… there is a lot of time we have to chat, we have to discuss, we have to agree, we have to disagree at times, but thank you so very much,” Dravid said as Rohit laughed shyly.

Dravid said he was short of words but praised the team for putting up a collective show and celebrate the achievement of winning the World Cup.

“I’m really short of words but all I just want to say is thank you to everyone for making me a part of what is an incredible memory,” he said.

“All of you will remember these moments. We always say, it is not about the runs, it is not about the wickets, you never remember your career but you remember moments like this, so let’s really enjoy,” Dravid said.

The former India skipper praised the squad for playing as a team and crossing the line and showing ‘resilience’ despite falling short of the goal a few times in the past.

“I could not be more proud of you guys, to come back the way you did, the way you fought, the way we worked as a team… the resilience. There has been some disappointment over the years where we have come close, we have never been able to cross the line,” he said.

“But what this bunch of boys has done, what all of you have done, what everyone in the support staff has done, the hard work that we put in, the sacrifices that we made… the whole country is really really proud of each and everyone of you and what you have achieved, and all of you should be,” Dravid added.

With BCCI secretary Jay Shah in attendance, Dravid also spoke about the sacrifices that people close to each and every player make in order to see allow them hog the spotlight. “So many sacrifices that each and everyone of you make, to see your families here today enjoying it, so many of your families back home, just think about all the sacrifices, each and everyone of them has made since the time you were kids, for you to be here in the dressing room,” Dravid said.

“Today, your parents, your wives, your children, your brother, your coaches, so many people have made so many sacrifices and worked so hard with you for you to enjoy this memory in this moment… really, really proud to have being a part of this memory with you guys,” he continued.

Usually articulate, Dravid admitted he was falling short of words but praised the team for their respect towards the outgoing coaching staff.

“I’m not usually short of words but on a day like today, for me to be part of this, I could not be more grateful for the respect, for the kindness, for the effort that each and everyone of you are shown to me, to my coaching staff to my support staff,” he said.

Dravid also praised the BCCI officials and others for their work behind the scenes.

“Behind a great team, there is also a successful organisation and we have to acknowledge the work of BCCI and people behind the scenes for the work they have done. Each one of us comes through a system that gives us the opportunity to go and play, thank you very much,” he added.

India captain Rohit Sharma poses for a picture with the ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2024 trophy at a beach, in Barbados on July 1, 2024.
| Photo Credit: ANI

The first T20 World Cup featuring 20 Teams will go down in history for several reasons. The tournament ended with Team India ending their ICC trophy drought, securing a seven-run win over first-time finalists South Africa in an edge-of-the-seat thriller at Barbados.

Here is a closer look at some amazing feats and records broken in the West Indies and the USA.

With two unbeaten sides meeting in the final, it was clear that the champion would set a new record for most wins in a tournament. In fact, India and South Africa both finished with eight match wins — with India missing out on a possible victory due to one of their matches (against Canada in the group stage) being a washout.

India’s 176/7 in the final, however, was the highest by any team in the final of a Men’s T20 World Cup — edging past Australia’s 173/2 against New Zealand in 2021.

At the age of 37 years and 60 days, Rohit Sharma became the oldest man to captain a side to T20 World Cup glory, as per ICC. It was a tournament that was great for the bowlers, and both Fazalhaq Farooqi of semifinalists Afghanistan and Arshdeep Singh of champions India took 17 wickets, the most in a single edition, one more than previous record-holder Wanindu Hasaranga of Sri Lanka.

The sensational Jasprit Bumrah of India finished with the best bowling average in an edition, with 8.3 – ahead of Anrich Nortje’s figures of 8.5 in 2022. Bumrah, who also went at an economy of 4.17, was a unanimous decision for the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award.

And it was England’s Chris Jordan who has the record for the best bowling strike rate in a tournament, with 8.3 — ahead of Fazalhaq Farooqi (8.9) and Tabraiz Shamsi (9.2) this year, as well as previous record-holder Jacques Kallis (9.4) from 2012.Jordan claimed four wickets in an unseen quadruple-wicket maiden over against the USA. Curtis Campher, who claimed four wickets in four balls against The Netherlands in 2021, conceded two in his over.

New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson also created history as the first man to bowl four maiden overs in a T20 World Cup spell. He finished with figures of 3/0 (4) against Papua New Guinea in the Kiwis’ last group-stage match at the tournament.

There was plenty of big hitting as well — and 2024 recorded the most boundaries in an edition of the T20 World Cup thus far, with 1,478, eclipsing 2021’s 1,349. Unsurprisingly, within that, 2024 also had the most sixes — 515, more than 100 more than 2021’s 405.And West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran hit the most sixes in a T20 World Cup — his 17 beating the record of 16 set by his legendary compatriot Chris Gayle.

Afghanistan’s captain Rashid Khan with teammates acknowledges fans after Afghanistan won the ICC Twenty20 World Cup cricket match against Bangladesh, at Arnos Vale Ground, Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, on June 24, 2024.

West Indian batting great Brian Lara had predicted Afghanistan would reach the T20 World Cup semifinals nearly a month before the tournament began and now that the giant-slayers have made it, skipper Rashid Khan said he is immensely proud to have proved the legend right.

Afghanistan continued their brilliant run at the T20 World Cup as they marched to their first-ever World Cup semifinal with an eight-run win over Bangladesh in the last Super 8 clash here.

“The only guy who put us in the semifinals was Brian Lara and we proved him right. When we met him at a welcome party, I told him we won’t let you down,” Rashid said at the post-match presentation.

“I think when you get the kind of great, great statements from a legend, as a team, I think it gives you lots of energy as well. We are capable,” he added.

Lara, in an interaction with PTI editors at its headquarters last month, had predicted that Afghanistan would be among the semifinalists in the mega-event.

“Afghanistan, they are capable of getting into the (last) four,” Lara had said, while picking his tournament favourites.

Rashid said the conviction that they could advance to the semifinals was ignited by their triumph over heavyweights New Zealand in the group stage.

“It’s a dream for us to be in the semifinals. The way we started the tournament, the belief came when we beat New Zealand. It’s unbelievable,” he recalled.

Afghanistan also picked up a historic win over Australia before beating Bangladesh in the final Super 8 fixture to set up semifinal date with South Africa on June 27.

Against Bangladesh, Afghanistan were restricted to 115/5 but the bowlers led by Naveen Ul Haq and Rashid propelled them to a thrilling eight-run win.

“We thought 130-135 was a good score but we fell 15 runs short. We knew they would come hard at us and we knew that is what we could take advantage of. We didn’t need to do anything extra, just be clear in our plans.

Pacers Naveen and Fazalhaq Farooqi have excelled with the new ball all through the campaign and Rashid couldn’t be happier.

“In T20s if you get a good start, it helps us in the middle overs. They have given great starts to us in the whole competition. It makes it easier for us to go harder at the batsmen.

“They have delivered, they were very clear in their minds,” Rashid said.

On the several rain interruptions that eventually led the match to be truncated, Rashid said they were mentally ready to pick all 10 wickets.

“Rain is something not in our hands but mentally we knew we have to play 20 overs and take 10 wickets.

“That’s the only way we could win. But Gulbadin, he had some cramps. But his wicket was invaluable to us,” he said.

The skipper reckoned there will be huge celebration back home.

“It’s a big achievement for us as well. We have done that at U-19 level but at this World Cup, I don’t have any words to describe the feeling back home. We have to go into the semis with a very clear mind and make sure we enjoy the occasion,” he said.

Shanto blames batters

Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto conceded the team was once again let down by its batters.

“We bowled really well. As a bowling unit we did a lot of good things. But as a batting unit we made some poor decisions especially in the middle overs,” he admitted.

“Whole tournament, we bowled really well, especially Rishad the new guy came and bowled really well, I am really happy for him. As a batting unit we really need to improve a lot.”

Former T20 World Cup champions Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and regular contender New Zealand failed to advance to the Super 8, rather shockingly, in the ongoing edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Pakistan, along with India, was expected to progress from Group-A, but a shock Super Over loss to USA to USA and a failed run chase against its neighbour ruined its chances.

The Lankans and Kiwis were in tougher groups. While the former was in Group-D with Bangladesh and South Africa, Kane Williamson’s men were drawn with two-time champion West Indies and Afghanistan.

Both teams would have hoped to advance, but sub-par performances meant that they were on the flight back home before the Super 8 stage.

All three sides will rue the missed chances. The precarious nature of the pitches in the United States will definitely be a point of discussion for the teams that played their group stage games in New York.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka were rattled by the inconsistent surface at the Nassau County Stadium and would believe that different circumstances might have yielded different results. Not only the wickets, the weather gods also intervened in a few matches.

Some tactical blunders, like dropping Tim Southee — the all-time top wicket-taker in T20Is — in the crucial encounter against Afghanistan and a poor performance in the death overs against Rovman Powell’s men, sealed the Kiwis’ fate as they suffered reverses in their first two fixtures.

It was almost a similar script for Wanindu Hasaranga’s men who, after two losses and a No Result against Nepal, finished third in their group with three points.

Even as the heavyweights faltered, the lesser-fancied teams punched above their weight. No one would have backed USA to qualify at the start of the tournament, but a spirited show saw the co-host defy expectations and beat the 2009 champion Pakistan while making it to the Super 8.

Sri Lanka’s captain Wanindu Hasaranga.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Sri Lanka captain Wanindu Hasaranga believes they’ve extensively discussed their repeated mistakes in big tournaments and now it’s time to shift their focus towards rectifying those faults, following the ignominy of another group league exit.

Hasaranga termed his team’s 83-run win against the Netherlands as something that came “too late” after losing their games against South Africa and Bangladesh in the group stage of the T20 World Cup.

“After every tournament, we gather around and discuss that we committed several mistakes. As a team, we should decide if we have to rectify those mistakes. I think we have not rectified our mistakes yet.

“As a captain, I feel very sorry about this,” Hasaranga didn’t beat around the bush after another inglorious first round exit having finished ninth in the ODI World Cup last year.

“We have discussed our mistakes in this World Cup and from previous ODI World Cup as well. So as we have not rectified those we had to get out of this tournament this soon.” The leg-spinner felt that it was the batting that led the team down.

“When we think of the bowing battalion, we are on the top in this tournament as well. Unfortunately, I know our batting wasn’t good enough as we expected and that’s why we had to get out of this tournament this early,” the skipper put the blame squarely on batters.

Hasaranga, however, didn’t want to read too much into social media comments where there has been an outpouring of emotions by the Sri Lankans cricket fans.

“As a player, we should not look at social media posts. What’s on social media is (posted) done by a small group of people to make (instigate) other fans angry. (Genuine) Sri Lanka fans are with us even if we lose the matches. We must be very lucky to have such kind of fans in Sri Lanka.” While Sri Lanka arrived in the United States at least 10 days prior to the start of the tournament, Hasaranga felt that there was no similarity between training pitches and match decks.

“We should thank the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board for bringing us 10 days prior and organising a training camp like that. But I think from the locations that we have practised, the conditions (for matches) are not the same.

“So, we adjusted ourselves as every possible way. Unfortunately, we had our first match in New York and it was not successful. And then we went to Dallas to the next match and we could not adjusted to the pitch there as well. I think as a team and as a captain, we take the full responsibility.” But Hasaranga doesn’t want to hide behind the below-par USA tracks and paper over the dismal performance of his own team.

“Yes you can (put the) blame on pitches and make up stories when you lose a match. But as professional cricketers, we can’t do that. All the other countries are also playing in the same pitches so we have to adjust ourselves to that. We have to admit that. That’s why we come to these tournaments representing a country.

“We should have improved our cricket and not blame others,” he concluded.

Players of the two teams greet each other after the ICC Twenty20 World Cup between India and Canada was called off due to wet outfield in Lauderhill on June 15, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

An hour after scheduled start of play, umpires Richard Kettleborough and Sharfuddoula took a brisk walk across the Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium outfield here and called off proceedings.

India’s last Group ‘A’ match, against Canada here, was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

The umpires had an easy decision, as the outfield was nowhere near ready for play. There was no rain on match day, but a heavy downpour on the previous night did the damage.

India (7 points) finished on top of the group, and will face Afghanistan in its first Super 8 fixture at Barbados on June 20.

Canada (3 points) lost the chance to go up against the fan favourite side, and exited the tournament.

“As an associate nation, we would have loved to play against the Indian team. But nature cannot be stopped. There was heavy rain in the last two days, so it was tough to get the ground ready,” Canada head coach Pubudu Dassanayake said.

“We were pumped up for the game. For many of our guys, their heroes are in the Indian team. But even though we not could play the match, it was great to spend time with the Indian team and chat with them.

They gave us tips on how to improve our game, which was a great takeaway,” Dassanayake said.

The Indian team’s focus, meanwhile, will now shift to tackling different conditions in the West Indies. The pitches in the Caribbean will not heavily assist the pacers, as seen in New York. Team combinations, batting approach, a par score – these are some of the aspects that skipper Rohit Sharma will have to reassess.

India batting coach Vikram Rathour stated that it was disappointing to not get a game here.

“It is disappointing for fans who have turned up to the stadium, and for us too. We were looking forward to playing the game. It was important for us to get match practice. But the rain is something we cannot control,” Rathour said.

Concerns regarding sustaining injuries on a wet outfield had to be considered, Rathour added.

“The concern about sustaining an injury is always there when you play in less than ideal conditions. We are already in the Super 8, and you do not want any injuries ahead of important matches. Of course, the decision to call off play is with the match officials. We did not have any say in that,” Rathour said.

On releasing two travelling reserves from the squad, Rathour said, “That was always the plan. We wanted to keep two reserves, and release two.”

More than eight years after Carlos Brathwaite’s four sixes at Eden Gardens gave them their second T20 world title, a wounded West Indies will look to redeem themselves at home when they begin their campaign in the event’s ninth edition by taking on Papua New Guinea, in Georgetown on June 2.

Brathwaite had slammed Ben Stokes for four successive sixes in the final over to pull off one of the most astonishing chases that made the West Indies the first team to win the T20 World Cup twice. Their maiden triumph was in 2012.

But what followed was years of agony as the team found itself lost in transition. In 2021, they endured four defeats in five games to make a Super 12 exit.

Worse was in store in the 2022 edition in Australia when they failed to qualify for the main round after shock defeats to minnows Scotland and Ireland.

It’s been 2982 days since the memorable night at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, something they would be desperate to reclaim especially when the tournament is at home.

Darren Sammy as coach

Their two-time T20 World Cup winning skipper Darren Sammy is back as a coach and the Rovman Powell-led side already made its intention clear with a ruthless win over Australia in a warmup match.

But that Australia was a depleted side as only nine players from their squad were available for the match.

Nicolas Pooran will play a pivotal role in the middle-order, but West Indies boast additional firepower with Powell, Andre Russell, Shimron Hetmyer, Sherfane Rutherford, and Romario Shepherd, making them one of the most formidable batting line-ups in the tournament.

Russell has been in exceptional form, both with bat and ball, after aiding Kolkata Knight Riders in clinching their third IPL title recently.

West Indies will also be looking to become the first team to win a T20 World Cup at home.

They have replaced the experienced but injured Jason Holder with left-arm fast bowler Obed McCoy.

McCoy was the leading wicket-taker during the West Indies A’s recent tour to Nepal, grabbing eight wickets in five matches.

Papua New Guinea loaded with all-rounders

Assadollah Vala-led PNG will make their second appearance after 2021 after sealing their spot via the East Asia-Pacific regional final in July 2023.

Vala is one of 10 players from their 2021 campaign, with that edition’s reserve member Jack Gardner picked in the 15-player group this time. Leg-spinning all-rounder CJ Amini will be his deputy.

The side boasts no fewer than eight recognised all-rounders, with both right and left-arm bowling options.

Left-arm quick Sema Kamea and Kabua Vagi Morea both enjoyed qualifying action, with the latter taking a hat-trick in the game against the Philippines.

Teams (from)

West Indies: Rovman Powell (c), Alzarri Joseph (vc), Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Obed McCoy, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd.

Papua New Guinea: Assadollah Vala (c), Alei Nao, Chad Soper, CJ Amini, Hila Vare, Hiri Hiri, Jack Gardner, John Kariko, Kabua Vagi Morea, Kipling Doriga, Lega Siaka, Norman Vanua, Sema Kamea, Sese Bau and Tony Ura.

Match starts: 8 pm IST.

USA favourites vs Canada

A team full of expatriates, tournament co-hosts USA, coached by former Australian batter Stuart Law, will promise some surprises when it kicks off the T20 World Cup taking on qualifiers Canada in a battle of debutants.

The USA have proved that they will be no pushovers, having beaten the full-member side Bangladesh 2-1 in the build up to the tournament.

They will also have the edge having beaten Canada 4-0 recently.

2015 WC finalist Corey Anderson in USA squad

The side will be boosted by former New Zealand player and 2015 World Cup finalist Corey Anderson. The hosts will be led by wicket-keeper batter Monank Patel.

Born in Anand, Monank played for his home state at age-group level before making the US his home in 2016.

He was the top-scorer in the World T20 Americas qualifier 2018 with 208 runs from six innings and made his T20I debut against UAE in 2019.

The team will also feature some familiar names in former Mumbai and Rajasthan Royals left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh and ex-Delhi and Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter Milind Kumar.

They also have Saurabh Netravalkar, the most capped USA player, Aaron Jones, and opener Steven Taylor, their highest run-scorer in international cricket.

Tearaway quick Ali Khan is also fit for the tournament, shaking off a hamstring injury which kept him out of the Canada series.

Batting all-rounder Nitish Kumar, who played 18 T20Is for Canada from 2012 to 2019, has now switched sides and will be seen in the USA jersey. He made his T20I debut for the USA against Canada in April this year.

Left-arm orthodox spinner Saad Bin Zafar brings a wealth of experience to the Canada team, with top-order batter Aaron Johnson and left-arm seamer Kaleem Sana also expected to feature heavily in a side with just four players under the age of 30.

Teams (from)

USA: Monank Patel (c), Aaron Jones (vc), Andries Gous, Corey Anderson, Ali Khan, Harmeet Singh, Jessy Singh, Milind Kumar, Nisarg Patel, Nitish Kumar, Noshtush Kenjige, Saurabh Nethralvakar, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Steven Taylor and Shayan Jahangir.

Canada: Saad Bin Zafar (c), Aaron Johnson, Ravinderpal Singh, Navneet Dhaliwal, Kaleem Sana, Dilon Heyliger, Jeremy Gordon, Nikhil Dutta, Pargat Singh, Nicholas Kirton, Rayyankhan Pathan, Junaid Siddiqui, Dilpreet Bajwa, Shreyas Movva and Rishiv Joshi.

Match starts: 6 am IST (June 2).

Considered a mentor for the new crop of Indian fast bowlers, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah says he never tries to “over-teach” the younger lot and steps in to help only when asked, to avoid burdening them with information.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Considered a mentor for the new crop of Indian fast bowlers, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah says he never tries to “over-teach” the younger lot and steps in to help only when asked, to avoid burdening them with information.

The 30-year-old Bumrah would be a key player for India in the T20 World Cup, starting in New York on June 1 and he would also be expected to be a guiding force for India’s pace battery, featuring the relatively younger and less experienced Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh.

“You don’t try to over-teach. That is something that I have learned,” Bumrah told the ICC’s official website for the T20 World Cup.

“Because whenever people need help, I let them have their own questions… Because you don’t want to give too much information,” he said.

Group D | Group C | Group B | Group A

Bumrah said it is important for youngsters to know their path without being burdened with an overkill of information.

“It’s not like they have just been lucky and they land here. So that is what I try to do. I do pass on certain information that I have gained over from my experience,” he said.

“But I don’t try to burden them with (over) information. Because that is a part of the journey as well. That you have to find your own ways and solutions,” he added.

Bumrah has battled a nagging back injury for the past couple of years and it even kept him out of the 2022 T20 World Cup but he has managed to fight through and enjoyed a brilliant run in the 2023 ODI showpiece.

He snared 20 wickets at an average of 18.65 with an economy of just about four in that event. The reticent bowler said his focus since coming back has been to simply enjoy his game.

“Because (certain) things will go my way. (Certain) things will not go my way,” he said.

“All of these things will be a part of my process. So I have just realised that I started playing this sport. Because I love this sport. And I will focus on that rather than the end result.

“So in that aspect you reduce your pressure. And you enjoy the sport. When you focus on those things. Rather than the things you cannot control,” he added.

Bumrah has 74 T20 International wickets, which puts him third in India’s all-time list. He is widely perceived to be the best among the current lot of international pacers when it comes to consistently bowling yorkers.

Australian great Brett Lee has even gone to the extent of saying that Bumrah is the only pacer in the world who is executing the yorker correctly right now.

Bumrah said his consistent yorkers are a result of years of practice.

“So I played a lot of tennis-ball, rubber-ball cricket when I was growing up. I used to play a lot with my friends in summer camps,” he said.

“…I used to think that this is the only way to get wickets. Because I was a fan of fast bowling. I was really fascinated by what I saw on the television. So I tried to replicate that. Is it (tennis-ball cricket) a secret (to bowling yorkers) or not? I don’t know,” Bumrah wondered.

“But repetition surely is. Because I have kept this delivery. I still practice it. I keep on practicing it. Because every skill that you develop, you have to practice it and make it stronger. So I think a combination of both would be the answer.” India are in Group A of the T20 World Cup, along with Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, and the USA. They will begin their campaign against Ireland on June 5.

In The Hindu’s countdown to the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which commences in the West Indies and USA on June 2, we take a look at the teams in Group ‘B’.

ENGLAND: The defending champion would have hoped that the four-match T20I series against Pakistan gives them ideal preparation, but rain has played spoilsport. Nevertheless, key pieces of the puzzle have started to fall in place.

Pace spearhead Jofra Archer has made a smooth comeback from injury, while captain Jos Buttler got into the groove with a 51-ball 84 against Pakistan at Birmingham last week.

All-rounder Liam Livingstone, who played his part in the 2022 triumph, will strive to overcome a recent slump in form.

T20 World Cup 2024 Group C preview | Three-way race beckons West Indies, New Zealand, and Afghanistan 

Key player: Phil Salt: The aggressive opening batter went at a strike-rate of 182 for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024. Salt’s PowerPlay hitting will be crucial to England’s success.

The squad: Jos Buttler (Capt.), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley and Mark Wood.

AUSTRALIA: As seen in the 2023 50-over Cricket World Cup, the Baggy Greens are at their best in big tournaments.

This time should be no different, as the squad is packed with efficient personnel. Travis Head and David Warner will smash it at the top of the order, while left-arm speedster Mitchell Starc will swing it around corners with the new ball.

T20 World Cup 2024: Final chance for Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli to give India an ICC Trophy after 13 years 

The Aussies will be happy to see fast bowler Josh Hazlewood and skipper Mitchell Marsh recover well from injury. Leg-spinner Adam Zampa should come in fresh, having opted out of IPL 2024. Glenn Maxwell’s horror run in the IPL, however, is a cause for concern.

Key player: Travis Head: Head plundered runs at an outstanding strike-rate for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024, rewriting the rules on a good PowerPlay score.

The squad: Mitchell Marsh (Capt.), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner and Adam Zampa.

NAMIBIA: With a dominant show in the Africa Region Qualifier, Namibia claimed its third straight T20 World Cup spot.

The country cannot be written off, having had some success at the highest level (wins over Sri Lanka and Netherlands in previous T20 World Cups).

Twenty20 World Cup countdown: South Africa has the firepower to pass the Group D test 

The side will hope that the first warm-up game, where it received a hiding from Australia, was an aberration.

Key player: Gerhard Erasmus: The captain has long been a consistent performer as a middle-order batter and off-spinner.

The squad: Gerhard Erasmus (Capt.), Zane Green, Michael Van Lingen, Dylan Leicher, Ruben Trumpelmann, Jack Brassell, Ben Shikongo, Tangeni Lungameni, Niko Davin, J.J. Smit, Jan Frylinck, J.P. Kotze, David Wiese, Bernard Scholtz, Malan Kruger and P.D. Blignaut.

SCOTLAND: In 2018, Scotland made history when it upset neighbour England in an ODI.

Memories from that grand occasion will no doubt resurface when the teams meet on June 4 at Barbados.

Scotland is a regular participant on this grand stage, having competed in three ODI World Cups (1999, 2007 and 2015) and five T20 World Cups (2007, 2009, 2016, 2021 and 2022).

The side made it to the 2024 T20 World Cup with a six-match unbeaten run in the Europe Region Qualifier.

Key player: Brad Wheal: The 27-year-old fast bowler is the pick of the bowlers, backed by good shows for English county Hampshire.

The squad: Richie Berrington (Capt.), Matthew Cross, Brad Currie, Chris Greaves, Oli Hairs, Jack Jarvis, Michael Jones, Michael Leask, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Chris Sole, Charlie Tear, Mark Watt and Brad Wheal.

OMAN: Making a third T20 World Cup appearance, the squad is primarily made up of players with roots in Pakistan and India. Oman has failed to make it past the group stage in a World Cup, though it has managed to get wins over Ireland and Papua New Guinea.

There is quality in the bowling ranks, as left-arm death over specialist Bilal Khan and the strapping Kaleemullah form a good pace duo.

Key player: Aqib Ilyas: The all-rounder, who took over from Zeeshan Maqsood as the new captain, is a reliable top-order batter and handy spinner.

The squad: Aqib Ilyas (Capt.), Zeeshan Maqsood, Kashyap Prajapati, Pratik Athavale, Ayaan Khan, Shoaib Khan, Mohammad Nadeem, Naseem Khushi (wk), Mehran Khan, Bilal Khan, Rafiullah, Kaleemullah, Fayyaz Butt, Shakeel Ahmad and Khalid Kail.