Former Indian middle-order batter Mohammad Kaif has urged the fans to get behind the Men in Blue despite struggling to beat the West Indies in the ongoing away five-game T20I series. Kaif has also called for the fans to be unified instead of being divided by their individual choice of favourites.
India, led by Hardik Pandya, have lost consecutive T20Is for the first time to the West Indies. With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma rested for the five-game series, the selectors decided to give opportunities to the likes of Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, and Tilak Varma. While Tilak Varma has showcased his mettle with 39 and 51, India has failed collectively as a batting unit.
The first T20I saw the Men in Blue failing to chase down a modest 150 for victory, losing by 4 runs. The tourists managed 152 on the board, thanks to Tilak Varma's 51 off 41 deliveries. India also hit back with the ball, sparking a mighty collapse. Nevertheless, Pandya's questionable tactics, notably, not bowling out Yuzvendra Chahal backfired. Instead, Nicholas Pooran smashed a 40-ball 67 to take the West Indies home with 2 wickets to spare.
Mohammad Kaif says World Cup is coming home:
Kaif, meanwhile, hasn't written off the Indian team and believes they will bring the World Cup home, but urged support for them. He tweeted the below:
"Small request for cricket fans: Don't write off Indian team. Show unity, don't be divided by your individual choice of players. Rohit and Dravid have played big tournaments without stars like Bumrah. World Cup is coming home, the boys need your support."
The third T20I, which is a do-or-die game for India, begins on August 8th.
