Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah ignored; Indian-origin Canadian all-rounder names player he would like to meet in IND vs CAN
Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah during a practice session.
Having already booked their berths in the T20 World Cup Super 8 stage, India take on Canada in their final Group A fixture in Lauderhill on Saturday. With three wins in three matches, India are unbeaten and will look to end their group stage on a strong note, ahead of the Super 8s. Canada, on the other hand, are fourth in Group A with one win in three matches, and have lost two games. They failed to qualify for the Super 8s, but pulled off a remarkable feat in their maiden T20 World Cup, by beating Ireland.
The Canadian team also has some Indian-origin players, including all-rounder Pargat Singh. Pargat has played domestic cricket in India, having moved to Canada with his family in 2020. He represented Punjab from 2015-17, making his List A debut in 2015 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He also made his T20 debut in 2016, in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
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Speaking to ANI ahead of the match, Pargat said, "There is a different feeling when you play against your home country. But professionally, we are ready to play against India."
Revealing that the player he would like to meet from the Indian team, Pargat ignored the likes of Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, picking Rohit Sharma. "I would like (to meet) Rohit Sharma (after the game). I want to ask him how he can effortlessly play his shots," he added.
The weather forecast for the match does not look promising as thunderstorms have been predicted. The match could either be totally abandoned or cut short. THe Indian team also cancelled their scheduled net session on Friday.
Focus will be on the Indian team's batting order, who have under-fired in this tournament. Fans have called for the selection of opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and for the demotion of Kohli to No. 3. But India are currently unbeaten and a change in tactics could have a negative effect. Kohli has registered scores of 1 (vs Ireland), 4 (vs Pakistan) and O (vs the USA).
Speaking ahead of the match, Canada's Aaron Johnson said, "As I say it's a ball. The ball is very round the moment you walk on the field, anyone can win. Yes, you have to have respect for these guys. They have been doing it for years. And going up, hopefully we get to play against Kohli, Rohit, all of these guys, the list goes on and on. And you have to respect them, but at the end of the day, you have to know that you're a professional cricketer also. And if they did it, you can do it also. So, it's about respecting them, but also respecting yourself."
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