India opener KL Rahul on Sunday said he is not yet thinking about the T20 World Cup but wants to carry his sparkling form into the big event.
The 27-year-old was named the Player of the Tournament for scoring 224 runs in the five-match series at an average of 56.
“I am batting really well now and I am happy to do the roles I am doing for my side,” Rahul said. “Not thinking too much about the T20 World Cup at the moment, but hopefully I can continue batting this way.”
The T20 World Cup will be held in Australia from October 18 to November 15. India notched up a rare 5-0 whitewash over New Zealand with a seven-run win in the fifth and final T20 International and Rahul said the team’s ability to find answers in difficult situations was the key to its success.
“I am pleased. It is great to be standing here winning 5-0. Very happy that my performances could result in victories for India. We were happy to come into this series with confidence and to keep executing our skills every game. We came up with answers from every situation and it is a great result for me and the side,” he said.
“I think it is a winning habit that we have cultivated wherein we want to win every time we step onto the ground. As a team we keep believing in each other. Leading up to the World Cup, there were a few strategies that we wanted to try out. It just keeps giving us more and more confidence to keep going around.”
India will next play three ODIs against New Zealand beginning on February 5 and Rahul said they will follow the same process in the 50-over format.
“We’ll relax a little bit over the next couple of days and enjoy the victory. But once we start with the next series, the process will remain the same,” he said. “We want to win games of cricket every time we go out. The kind of cricket we are playing is fun to watch and we hope to keep repeating this,” Rahul added.
Rahul also spoke about the Indian team’s ability to consistently produce eye-catching performances despite getting little time to recover because of a cramped calendar.
“Every month we have been playing so many games,” Rahul said. “It is hard on the body so we have been working hard, to stay mentally and physically fit to keep putting up performances like this,” he added.
Ever since the Australia series at home, Rahul has taken on the additional responsibility of wicket-keeping.
This was also India’s last T20I of the 2019-20 season, which has seen them take on West Indies (twice), South Africa, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka previously at home.
India have played 11 matches in the last one month.
Asked about the key takeaways ahead of the T20 World Cup, Rahul said the team managed to win high-pressure games.
“Every time we have been challenged and pushed, and played some really competitive teams. We have always stayed calm, that’s been the biggest takeaway. Previously we had series where we would win the series and not be challenged. But the last few series have been really challenging for us.
“It’s phenomenal, it is a coach’s and captain’s dream, playing and working like this. We have a common goal as I said and we are working towards it.”
Prior to the start of the tour, Kohli said cricketers are “getting closer and closer to landing at the stadium and playing straight”.
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