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The no.1 ranked ICC T20I all-rounder and Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza suffered an injury in the Super 8 game against West Indies at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. While Raza continued to bowl and even returned to the field to bat in the run chase against West Indies, there were question marks on whether he will regain full fitness ahead of India clash. 100 per cent fit or not, Raza is confirmed to play against India in the must-win game at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on February 26. Zimbabwe’s Ryan Burl was asked to give an update on Raza and he gave a witty reply.
“Sikandar Raza is 100% playing. Good luck telling him that he's not going to play against India. Yeah, he's going to be playing,” Burl said in the pre-game press conference.
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On February 25, Raza regained the no.1 spot in ICC’s latest T20I rankings for all-rounders. He went past Pakistan's Saim Ayub whose struggles with the bat have continued.
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Raza in T20 World Cup so far
39-year-old Raza has been leading his team from the front. He hasn't been impressive with the ball with just one wicket against Oman. But, he has contributed with crucial knocks. Against Australia, he contributed with an unbeaten 25. He scored 45 runs against Sri Lanka in the run chase and was adjudged 'Player of the match' as Zimbabwe reached the Super 8 stage unbeaten.
Despite a lacklustre run with the ball, Raza may opt to bowl in the powerplay overs to exploit the off-spin issue Indian batters are facing in the ongoing tournament. Raza may even bowl the first over of the match, hoping to get an out-of-form but dangerous Abhishek Sharma.
Burl pins hopes on pressure getting better of India
Burl understands that the match against India is a high stakes one. He pointed out that the defending champions have a home advantage but also feels that pressure can lead to strange series of events.
“Yeah, it is a must-win match for us, but it’s also a must-win game for India. There's obviously a lot at stake here, being a World Cup game and if we are to progress to the semifinals, we both want to look at winning tomorrow's game,” Burl said.
“Obviously, we don't get to play India a lot, so it's something that we really have been looking forward to. Playing India in India is a challenge in itself. They obviously got a home ground advantage, but the added pressure of both teams needing to win tomorrow's game.
“Pressure does funny things to teams. And obviously it being a World Cup, there's that added pressure as well. We hope to execute our process tomorrow,” he added.
India and Zimbabwe have played each other only once in T20 World Cup history. India beat Zimbabwe by 71 runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
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