For Lalchand Rajput, it was a plunge into an unknown territory when he was appointed manager of a young Indian team for the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. No one gave them a chance, but they still triumphed. Nearly 18 years later, the 63-year-old former player is backing an Indian team full of world beaters to not just win another prestigious ICC event, but do so convincingly. “This Indian team looks ruthless. They try to dominate and win every game. They don’t want to give the opponents a chance to come back into the game. That is the attitude. And the way they are playing, I think they should win the Champions Trophy convincingly,” Rajput told PTI on Tuesday. Rajput is currently the head coach of UAE cricket team, and watched Virat Kohli score his 51st ODI century in the six-wicket win over Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday, and he now expects skipper Rohit Sharma to smash his way to a big hundred.
“So Virat got a 100. All boxes are ticked. Now it’s only up to Rohit to get a big 100,” Rajput quipped, adding that the “Indian team have a clear instinct that that will just finish their opponents.” “We have always seen that India play better when the platform is big.” But the veteran coach had a word of caution as well for the team, which registered comfortable victories against Pakistan and Bangladesh and will next play New Zealand in their last group game on Sunday.
“See, in cricket, you cannot take it lightly. Every game is important, because if you take one or few overs lightly, that can change the game as well. So we have got to be at our best every time. We don’t want to relax at any moment,” he remarked.
“Both the games India has won comfortably. But in cricket, we can’t say anything, we have to take one game at a time. We don’t have to take New Zealand lightly. New Zealand is a better team (than Pakistan and Bangladesh), they have also won both the games and their morale is also high,” he pointed out.
On Kohli’s superlative performance, the former India player said: “I think Virat played a fantastic innings, you know, and he showed his class. We always think of King Kohli, I think he proved again. Big match, big match temperament. Big match player.” With the team in such great form, he is not in favour of ringing in any changes for the upcoming match, which is only of academic interest with both sides already in the semi-finals.
“I don’t think they will try anything (new) because when the team is doing well, you go with the same momentum.
“Unless there is some injury, or somebody wants to be rested, but I don’t think there will be any change. It’s up to the management because there are few days in between. But I would always say that you always continue with the winning team,” Rajput said.
Fielding is the only area where this Indian team can do even better, the former Afghanistan and Zimbabwe coach said.
“Yes, fielding, we can always do better. Because at the crucial stage, we cannot drop catches. So, fielding is one aspect where we can always do better.
“Last game, I was there. I will definitely come for the next game as well. New Zealand and semifinals, and hopefully, the finals as well,” he signed off.
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