It's been almost a decade since Team India tasted success in an ICC tournament. It was in 2013 when MS Dhoni-led India clinched the Champions Trophy in England and since then, the Men in Blue have failed to win an ICC multinational competition despite being one of the favourites heading into several tournaments. This time too, Rohit Sharma's men are definite contenders to win the 2022 T20 World Cup and when it comes to the preparations, they are as well or even better prepared than other participating nations.
Having said that, the Indian skipper is not turning a blind eye on how the Men in Blue have failed to live up to the expectations in recent ICC tournaments. Moreover, he is confident to change the narrative this time around in Australia.
When quizzed about India's failure to win an ICC tournament in last nine years, Rohit cited the load of 'expectations' being a factor while underlining that the team now has the chance to set the record straight.
"Pressure toh nahi bolunga (I wouldn't say it's the pressure) but it has definitely been a challenge for us to perform at the ICC tournaments. We will have to focus to get things right. The last one we won was in 2013. With a team like India, there are a lot of expectations. This tournament gives us a chance of changing that. We don't need to think too much about," Rohit said in the press conference ahead of the campaign opener.
Team India will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on October 23 (Sunday) at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, while they will face South Africa, Netherlands, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh later on in the tournament.
