Has Team India’s chance to lift the T20 World Cup 2024 trophy taken a hit even before the event has started? The long IPL 2024 season is yet to culminate, with around 15 days left before the mega-event starts in the USA. A T20 World Cup winner and IPL himself, Harbhajan Singh, has talked about how the cash-rich league can be detrimental to the India cricket team’s success.
No rest for India before T20 World Cup 2024
The IPL 2024 will end on May 26, with Rohit Sharma and co. having about nine days left before their opening clash against Ireland on June 5. Talking about how mentally draining the IPL can be, Harbhajan, while talking on the Star Sports Press Room, said:
“IPL is a tournament that is very tiring. Apart from matches, the travel between them is very tiring. The expectation to win the IPL is the same as the expectation to win the T20 World Cup. You are mentally and physically tired. The tournament has been extended as well; 20 days have been added.”
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What do you need to win the T20 World Cup? Skills and mental fortitude, says Harbhajan
The T20 World Cup winner talked about how, when representing India, you can’t be lethargic. You have to give it your all, irrespective of being tired. Harbhajan also claimed that two things are essential if you want to win: skills and mental toughness.
“Nothing is bigger than the World Cup. If you don’t give your all or are lethargic, it won’t work. You have to give it your best shot; forget about how tired you are, whether you got full sleep or not, whether you are mentally switched on or not. You have to switch on the given day. It doesn’t matter who you play—Australia, Pakistan, or a small team—you have to make sure you do whatever you can: bowl well, bat well, and field well.”
“We hope that our players (Indians) are fit, healthy, and ready. It’s not going to be easy. Winning a World Cup is a very difficult thing; it requires a lot of skills and mental fortitude,” he concluded.
India’s Schedule for T20 World Cup 2024
- India vs Ireland on June 5 (New York)
- India vs Pakistan on June 9 (New York)
- India vs USA on June 12 (New York)
- India vs Canada on June 15 (Florida)