Important we play every match like a World Cup final: Hardik

As Hardik Pandya leads India’s limited-overs team in the two-match T20I series against Ireland starting on Sunday, he said that every game from now on will be important for the team and have the same intensity as the World Cup final. should be dealt with. ,

“The first thing I told this group is that it’s a challenge – mainly mentally because it’s easy to say we’re playing against Ireland, but I don’t want that mentality in my team. It’s a matter of pride when you are playing for India and if we want to win the T20 World Cup then every match from here will be important and it is important that we play them like a World Cup final. on Saturday.

With barely four months left in the T20 World Cup, Hardik feels these matches will help the team do better. “If you work hard every day, eventually you will get better in the long run and that will help the Indian team. This is what I told the boys that no matter who our opponents are, we have to focus on every game. And consider that this is our biggest match to get better.”

on the same path

With Rahul Dravid busy in the red-ball squad for the Test against England, VVS Laxman has been drafted as the head coach of the T20I team. “It’s about making sure we keep the same intensity in the group that we usually have, whether we’re playing a World Cup or a big series. It depends on the mental state and how much better you can do because it is not easy to pump yourself by playing two matches, but at the same time, we are playing for India, so we have to play our A game, which we will do, Hardik said.

“The conversation between me and the coach (Lakshman) has been smooth. He is on the same path where we want to make sure that the attitude and approach is the same as we play in any other sport or maybe a World Cup game. He is here to ensure that the culture and path laid down by Rahul sir and Rohit Sharma for the World Cup will be the same and we are going to follow that.

Match starts at 9 pm