NEW DELHI: India batter
Suryakumar Yadav
has expressed his approval of the change in venue from New York to the customary cricket pitches in Barbados. The team is set to face Afghanistan on Thursday in their first match of the Super Eight stage of the
T20 World Cup
.
India, considered one of the top contenders for the title, finished at the top of Group A.
They secured victories against Ireland, Pakistan, and the USA on the "spicy" drop-in pitches at the temporary stadium near New York.
However, their match against Canada in Lauderhill was called off due to unfavorable conditions.
T20 World Cup 2024: Points Table | Schedule
The shift to Barbados brings the Indian team to the more familiar cricketing grounds of the West Indies, where they will look to continue their winning streak in the tournament.
"It's not that we weren't happy playing there (New York) but we were playing for the first time," Surya said, as quoted by AFP, at a press conference late on Tuesday.
"So yes, the conditions were different and a little challenging as well.
"But we've played here, we know the conditions here, how they react, how they act, so we are very happy to be here. It looks better."
Suryakumar, currently holding the top spot in the T20I batting rankings, is set to make his debut at the
Bridgetown
venue in the shortest format. However, he has previously played two ODIs against West Indies at the same ground last year, scoring 19 and 24 runs respectively.
During the group stage matches in New York, Suryakumar found it challenging to score runs. He managed only two runs against Ireland and seven against Pakistan.
In the match against USA, he played a composed innings of 50 not out off 49 balls, which was considerably slower than his career T20I strike rate of 168.06. Nevertheless, his contribution helped India secure a seven-wicket victory over the hosts.
"I have been the world's number one batsman for the past two years so you should know how to bat according to different conditions and how you can change your game to what the team needs at that time," said the 33-year-old.
"If you can play like that, I think it displays good batsmanship. And I try to do that if the wicket is difficult."
"I knew postpower play that finding boundaries was going to be difficult on that ground with the wind, with the slow outfield.
"So, we had a plan in mind after the powerplay that we'd just try and hit the gap and run hard.
"It was a little difficult track to bat on, yes, but that day the situation was different. We had to be batting till the end, keeping the wickets in hand."
Suryakumar is prepared to face the spin challenge that Afghanistan and Bangladesh, their upcoming opponent on Saturday, are likely to pose. The right-handed batsman has been in stellar form and will be a key player for India in the upcoming matches.
"That has always been my strong point," he said. "I mean, if the wicket is slow, the spinner is bowling, or if the wicket is good, that has always been my game."
"We obviously have plans against Afghanistan. We are completely focused and know our own strong points really well.
"We do think about the opposition. But at the same time, at the end of the day, you should know what your strong points are and back it."
English (US) ·