India will try to score 140-150 every game and not aim for 200-210: Irfan Pathan on conditions at T20 World Cup 2024
Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan reckons the Men in Blue will not aim for posting mammoth totals in the T20 World Cup 2024 after seeing the conditions on offer. There have been quite a few low-scoring games in the tournament so far, especially as the bowlers have been getting help from the drop-in pitches.
Irfan feels that Virat Kohli's experience will be vital in such conditions as he will gauge the conditions quickly and determine an ideal total for the team. Instead of collapsing while trying to attack and aim high, the former all-rounder believes India will look to get to competitive totals around the 150-run mark.
Speaking to Star Sports, here's what Irfan Pathan had to say about the conditions in the West Indies and the USA:
"Kohli will have a lead role in setting the template on these kind of pitches and determining what could be a good score for the team as per the conditions. You may also see India try to score 140-150 every game and not aim to go past the 200-210 mark. If they score it then well and good, but the idea would be to get past that 150-run mark."
India will play their group-stage games at the Nassau County Cricket Club in New York, a venue that has provided considerable support for the bowlers. Sri Lanka were bundled out for just 77 at the venue on Monday, June 3, and dragged South Africa's chase to the 17th over.
Irfan Pathan on Indian star's strike rate
There was a lot of debate about the strike rate of star players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, especially during the IPL 2024 season. However, Irfan Pathan believes that in conditions seen at the T20 World Cup 2024 so far, Rohit and Kohli's experience will be more handy than the strike rate they bat at.
"You need experience in World Cups, especially in tricky conditions where the ball is moving around off the pitch. In such times, you need players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who have done it on the big stage. These mature players do not think about the strike rate. They focus on winning the game for the team, and even if it is with a strike rate of 120 or 150, it doesn't matter," he stated.
India will start their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign against Ireland on Wednesday, June 5, in New York. The Men in Blue do have some idea about the conditions, having played a warm-up game against Bangladesh at the venue and having won by 60 runs.