What happened the last time India played a T20I in US?
Team India will begin their 2024 T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 5 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. They will play all their group games in the United States of America (USA), with Nassau County hosting the first three games. Lauderhill will host India's last group game against Canada.
The Men in Blue have been pitted in Group A alongside co-hosts USA, Ireland, Scotland, and arch-rivals Pakistan. The much-anticipated clash between India and Pakistan is scheduled for Sunday, June 9.
As Rohit Sharma and company embark on the journey in the US, let's revisit the last time they played a T20I game in the country. During their last visit to the US, India played a five-match T20I series against the West Indies. The Caribbean Island hosted the first three games of the series, while the remaining two matches were played in Lauderhill.
The final match of the series in Lauderhill, which also happens to be India's last game in the US, saw the Men in Blue go down by eight wickets. As a result, they conceded the series, going down 2-3 against the Caribbeans.
The match saw India bat first and post 165/9 in their 20 overs. Openers Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal couldn't fire with the bat and the Men in Blue were reduced to 2/17 inside the third over, with left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein picking up both wickets.
Suryakumar Yadav steadied the innings from one end and stitched together small partnerships with Tilak Varma (27) and Hardik Pandya (14) to take India to a respectable total. Suryakumar scored 61 off 45 balls, hitting four boundaries and three sixes.
Jason Holder scalped two wickets, while Romario Shepherd cleaned up the tail, returning with figures of 4/31 in his four overs.
In response, Arshdeep Singh dismissed Kyle Mayers in the second over to put the West Indies on the backfoot. But Brandon King and Nicholas Pooran's 107-run stand for the second wicket took the game away from the Indians. King remained unbeaten on 85 off 55 balls, while Pooran slammed 47 off 35 balls.
The Caribbeans raced to the target with two overs to spare and eight wickets in hand. Shepherd was awarded the Player of the Match for his four wickets.
When asked about the T20 World Cup in the US during the post-match presentation ceremony after that game, the-then Indian skipper Hardik Pandya spoke about learning from the defeats.
"It's a long way," Hardik had said. "And sometimes losing is good. You get to learn a lot. And special mention for all the boys. They showed great character. Winning and losing is a part of the process and we are going to make sure we learn from that."
Overall, the Men in Blue have played eight T20Is in the US, winning five. They lost two, while one game yielded no result.
"Aren't we still figuring out our batting line-up?" - Aakash Chopra questions whether India are still underprepared
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra raised questions about the Men in Blue's playing combinations, asking if the team is underprepared.
Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, Chopra said:
“Are India underprepared for yet another T20 World Cup? Aren't we still figuring out our batting line-up? Who is the opener and the finisher? Should we get to know all these only in the World Cup?
"Yes, India like a left-right combination, but are almost certain to go with two right-handers: Rohit and Kohli. Rishabh Pant will likely bat at No. 3, followed by Suryakumar Yadav, and their dismissals will depend on whether India will next send Shivam Dube or Hardik Pandya. Then Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.
"There are a lot of left-handers. But my question remains, why are we getting to know about this now? Shouldn't it be ideal that we should have known the opening combination by now?”
Who should open the innings for India alongside Rohit Sharma? Let us know in the comments.