Last Updated: January 03, 2023, 11:19 AM IST
Hardik Pandya. (AFP Photo)
India and Sri Lanka will meet for the first time since their Asia Cup clash last year
India kickstart their home season with a series of limited-overs fixtures starting with three T20Is against Sri Lanka. It will be the first time that these two teams will meet since Sri Lanka defeated India in Super Four match of the Asia Cup 2022.
A lot has happened since then from Indian cricket team’s perspective with winds of change blowing. They have seemingly started the transition phase in the shortest format and while there hasn’t been any official announcement, the BCCI will start phasing out senior players from T20Is with Hardik Pandya taking over the reins.
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Pandya, who led India in a couple of bilateral T20I tours last year, says that his team isn’t looking to ‘settle’ scores but promised that Sri Lanka will feel intimidated by their body language.
“We’re not looking to ‘settle’ anything,” Pandya told reporters on Monday. “We want to play good cricket. Yes, we will make them feel like we’re in India, don’t worry about that. I assure and promise you they will feel that they’re playing an international team, that too India in India. We’re going to be clear. We don’t need to go and sledge them. Our body language is enough for them to feel a little intimidated.”
Pandya defended India’s approach in the lead up to the T20 World Cup last year which saw the former champions losing to eventual winners England in the semifinal stage.
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“You see, before the World Cup, I don’t think we did anything wrong. Our template, approach, everything was the same. Yes, in the World Cup, things didn’t go how we wanted. And I think our approach was not what it was before the World Cup,” Pandya said.
“What we have noticed and told the boys is that just go out there and express (yourself), which they will do. And it’s up to us how we back them. What we have said is that we’re going to back you to the core. All the players have that support from my side that I’m going to back them to the core,” he added.
Pandya, who has a year to remember, says his new year resolution is to win world cup. “The biggest new year resolution is to win the World Cup. Going forward there is a lot to achieve. I have not achieved anything. There will be multiple World Cups in multiple years, so the goal always will be to win the World Cup,” he said.
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