T20 World Cup 2021: "Really wish we could provide physio support to Mujeeb Ur Rahman" - Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin joked that it would be good if India could provide physio support to Mujeeb Ur Rahman to get him fit in time for Afghanistan's match against New Zealand. Ashwin made these comments as India's fate in the 2021 T20 World Cup depends on other results going their way.
Speaking about the talks in the Indian dressing room regarding their chances of making it to the semi-finals after the win against Afghanistan, Ashwin said in a press conference:
"The discussion that we need to have is about how we are going to go about the couple of games we have left. Everyone is planning and wanting to go on a real high for the last two games. The rest of it is not in our control, we just have our fingers crossed."
For India to progress, they need Afghanistan or Namibia to beat New Zealand. They will also have to improve their Net Run Rate over Afghanistan's and New Zealand's. Afghanistan, of course, are India's best bet for New Zealand to drop points against, and Ashwin wished them well. He said:
"It’s a funny game and Afghanistan have played good cricket and a lot of our hopes rest with them, so all the very best to them."
Ashwin went on to add on a lighter note:
"I really wish if we could provide any physio support to Mujeeb we can get him on the field. That is all we can hope for."
Mujeeb Ur Rahman missed Afghanistan's last two matches against India and Namibia through injury.
Check out the full 2021 T20 World Cup squad here.
Family has played 'more than a small role' in bio-bubbles: Ravichandran Ashwin
The Indian cricketers have had a hectic schedule, with the Indian Premier League following a tour of England and then immediately heading into the T20 World Cup. To add to the busy schedule, they have had to live in bio-secure bubbles due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking on the bubble life and the role families have played for players in dealing with the difficulties, Ravichandran Ashwin said:
"Definitely (family plays a big role). Some of the people who live in Dubai, my friends and some acquaintances, they still don’t get the life of a bubble. They actually think bubble means we are living in a hotel and we are playing the games and they want to meet. We don’t get to see other people at all."
Ashwin added:
"In fact, We live among ourselves, and we live within rooms. Just try and create an environment where we communicate with each other, trying to play some team-building games here and there and that is all we have been doing for the last eight months to ten months."
Speaking on the importance of family, Ashwin went on to elaborate:
"Truth be told, without my family, I would have struggled so much. whether we have had a good or a bad day, family is the only place that we can lean upon. They’ve played more than a small role in the last eight months."
Ashwin added that all the players who have their families travelling with them would feel a similar way:
"Yes, we have had some great results, we have had some not-so-great results but that’s what happens on the field. But we are also human beings and we also have a family and we also need to have that sort of space to be able to go out and play the next day. So I am extremely thankful to my wife and my kids for this and most of the players who have their families with them will feel the same way."