T20 World Cup 2024 | "Quite excited to play India in a day game": Jonathan Trott

Jonathan Trott (Pic: File Pic)

Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott feels that his team is a stronger unit and expects to make full use of the conditions ahead of the Super 8 game of the T20 World Cup 2024 against India.

The Afghans will enter the Super 8 stage with three wins and one loss in their four T20 World Cup 2024 matches. The only defeat they faced was against the hosts West Indies.

"Day games actually suit us better. So, quite excited to play India in a day game. Obviously, they are one of the favourites and obviously that has added pressure for India", former England Test batter said. Also, Trott feels that Afghanistan can't be dubbed as an underdog anymore.

"........and hopefully, we can come in obviously perceived as underdogs but in my mind very much not underdogs and fully prepared and ready for the battle that confronts us tomorrow which I'm very excited about, Jonathan Trott said.

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In the ODI World Cup 2023 in India, Afghanistan were very close to sealing their semi-final berth. In T20I, the side is more stronger and all big teams are wary of them and Trott sees that as a compliment to his unit."

"It's a compliment, but also earned as well. We've had, as you see in the IPL, we've got a lot of players playing a lot of T20 cricket around the world and now it's about putting that together as a side I think in the past we've had some good individual players, but we need all those players playing together as a side."

Spinners have been Afghanistan's strength but in the T20 World Cup 2024, pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi has been their stand-out bowler. He is currently enjoying the spot in the top wicket-takers of the T20 World Cup 2024.

"When you've got the spinners with the experience of T20 cricket like we have, I think you would obviously say that's one of our strengths, but yet one of our seamers is a leading wicket-taker in the tournament. So, I think we've seen certainly over the last couple of years a more rounded side. So, if it swings and seams, we can take wickets, if it spins hopefully, we can take wickets as well", says Trott.

Both teams played a thrilling double Super Over game in Bengaluru. Speaking on that game, Trott added, "What I take away from the match is we should have won it, in that super over. But also, what I take away, it shows how the gap is closing with regards to our side, the ability that our players have to be able to chase as well in T20 cricket."

"That was a fantastic chase in Bangalore and unfortunately, we didn't win. To have a second Super over, I'm not sure that's ever happened before."

(With PTI Inputs)