'IND-NZ series was appetiser, main course begins from Feb 7�: Gavaskar on India�s T20 WC title defence preps

New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS) Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar praised Team India’s preparations ahead of their T20 World Cup title defence, noting that the Men in Blue are ‘not taking the World Cup lightly and not taking anything for granted.’

His comments came after the side secured the five-match T20I series against New Zealand with two matches to spare, winning the third game convincingly by eight wickets on Sunday.

Chasing 154, India shrugged off an early setback to race home in just 10 overs, led by Abhishek Sharma’s 68 not out off 28 balls and Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten 57 off 26.

Abhishek brought up a 14-ball fifty, the second-fastest by an Indian, as India stormed to 94/2 in the powerplay, but before the team’s batting blitz, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi starred with the ball in the first innings as New Zealand were restricted to 153/9, despite resistance from Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, and skipper Mitchell Santner.

Reflecting on India’s preparation for the upcoming World Cup, Gavaskar described the New Zealand series as only the beginning of a much larger journey.

“This series is like an appetiser; the main course begins from the 7th of February. Having won the series, the focus now is on defending the World Cup title. These players are preparing thoroughly. Some of them haven’t even had the chance to bat, so they are working on range-hitting, timing, rhythm, bat flow, and pick-up. It shows the focus of this team; they are not taking the World Cup lightly and not taking anything for granted,” he said on JioStar.

Abhishek's blistering display of power-hitting ensured India sealed a thumping eight-wicket win over New Zealand in Guwahati to gain an unassailable 3–0 lead in the series.

Gavaskar also drew comparisons between Abhishek and his mentor Yuvraj Singh while speaking about the young opener’s rapid rise and record-breaking potential.

“I think that kind of a record is very, very hard to beat. Getting to a fifty in just two overs is extremely tough. But what Abhishek Sharma has shown over the last several matches is that he is capable of doing that. He has scored a fifty in 14 deliveries in this match and in 16 deliveries on another, so he keeps getting closer.

"I think the happiest person will be Yuvraj Singh. Make no mistake about it, that his record has been taken by someone he is mentoring. That’s what happens when your record is broken.

"You would rather see another Indian take it. When my record of centuries was surpassed by Sachin Tendulkar, yes, there is a small tinge when a record is taken away, no question about that. But who took it? Sachin Tendulkar, another Indian. So, you don’t feel bad about it at all,” he added.

Speaking on Suryakumar Yadav’s form heading into the World Cup, Gavaskar emphasised that the Indian skipper was never short of confidence or timing- only runs.

“I think that his knock the other day in Raipur gave him exactly the confidence he needed. He hasn’t been short of form; he’s been short of runs. What he has been saying is that he has been batting very well in the nets. He’s not struggling there, he’s hitting the ball cleanly and all around the ground. It just wasn’t working for him in matches.

"Sometimes, all it takes is a bit of luck to get going. This time, he didn’t even need luck. That innings was exactly what he needed. It boosted his confidence, and the shots he played were simply amazing,” the former India opener stated.

The 76-year-old concluded by highlighting India’s growing confidence and exceptional depth, particularly in the lower middle order.

“India has complete confidence in themselves. When you have players like Rinku Singh and Hardik Pandya batting down the order, and they haven’t even needed to bat in two matches, and India is still winning comfortably, it tells you the kind of caliber this team has.

"In a 20-over game, if a batter tells himself that he has five or seven overs, he can look to score off almost every ball. It doesn’t always have to be a boundary or a six, it could be a couple of runs, but the idea is to make every ball count.

"That belief is clearly visible. Even if there is a small stumble, this team knows it can recover, regroup, and continue marching towards victory,” he mentioned.