Former West Indies skipper, Darren Sammy said that India will be “the team to beat” at the upcoming T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be taking place in the United Arab Emirates. Sammy said that at any ICC tournament, you need to “go through India” to have a shot at the trophy. India has been grouped with arch-rivals Pakistan, New Zealand, and Afghanistan, as well as two other teams who will qualify from Round 1 in the Super12 stage of the much-awaited tournament.
Taking about the same during a show on Star Sports, Darren Sammy said, “India is the team to beat. We have heard Dinesh Karthik talk about it – the experience, their T20 players come into the international cricket with, whether it is from India’s domestic T20 cricket or the IPL, you see all the countries go there and get the experience.”
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He further elaborated, “I think this is, if not, the most pressure situation (tournament), where the players will be under and India has that formula. In 2016, when we left our homes, me, the coach, and all the guys said – in order to win this tournament, you will have to go through India. Whatever stage it is, you will have to go through India, whether it is the final, the semi-final. You will have to go through India in any tournament.”
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 in UAE and Oman will be commencing from October 17, with the final to be played in Dubai on November 14.
The tournament is scheduled to be commencing with the Round 1 Group B encounter between hosts Oman and Papua New Guinea on October 17, with Scotland and Bangladesh, the other teams in Group B, clashing in the evening match.
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Ireland, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, and Namibia — making up Group A — will be seen facing each other in Abu Dhabi the next day, with Round 1 matches running till October 22. The top two teams in each group will proceed to the Super 12 stage of the tournament, beginning on October 23.
