NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has highlighted the 2024 T20 World Cup as a critical juncture for Team India, emphasizing that merely reaching the semi-finals will not be considered a successful run.
India's campaign begins with a Group A match against Ireland in New York on Wednesday.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra pointed out that the current tournament offers India a massive opportunity to end their long wait for a global title.
"There are a plethora of opportunities. Let's be very honest, the mirror does not lie. We won in 2007, it was the inaugural edition, and since then we haven't really lived up to the expectations. We played a final, it was the 2014 tournament in Bangladesh. We played the semi-final many times, but the semi-final is not a sign of victory anymore," Chopra said .
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Chopra emphasized the need for Rohit Sharma and his team to not only reach the finals but to aim for victory, especially for the senior players who might be playing their last World Cup.
"India need to reach the podium to be successful. Finishing in the top two is the bare minimum. It's possible things might not go in your favor in the final but at least the finals. I also feel this might be the last World Cup for a lot of people, so you want them to have the trophy in their hands," Chopra stated .
Chopra also expects India to adopt a cautious approach with the bat, similar to their strategy in the 2022 T20 World Cup.
"What will be the strategy? I don't think the strategy will change as compared to the way we played last edition (2022 T20 World Cup). It's almost going to be the same because the conditions are also like that. The new ball is moving a lot, especially in New York, and in the West Indies, one or two pitches have looked extremely slow," Chopra reasoned .
Chopra added that while Rohit Sharma might adopt an aggressive stance, the overall approach is likely to be conservative, aiming for consistency over fireworks.
"Rohit Sharma might come in an ultra-aggressive mode but even he might not as you are trying to bat long. So strategy is not changing a lot. Don't believe we will look to and will score 60 runs in the first six overs every time. Don't count the USA and Canada matches, I am talking about the real matches like Pakistan and even against Ireland. Their new-ball attack is decent," he added.
