With India gearing up for a decisive Super 8 encounter against the West Indies at Eden Gardens on Sunday, former cricketer Manoj Tiwary delivered a light-hearted yet pointed message to the Men in Blue. He joked that a failure to overcome the Caribbean side in their ICC T20 World Cup clash could even impact their future IPL prospects.The upcoming fixture is effectively a knockout, with the winner sealing a semi-final berth and the loser heading home. Both sides sit on two points from two matches in the Super Eight stage. Each recorded commanding victories over Zimbabwe but were outplayed by South Africa, making this contest a straight shootout for qualification.
During a discussion on Cricbuzz, Tiwary backed India to bounce back strongly, pointing to their recent batting fireworks.“India have scored 256 in their last match, so from that position, they should go through. There is no pressure at all. The expectation would be to score over 200 and defeat the West Indies easily. If they can’t defeat the West Indies, no one will get IPL contracts,” Tiwary said with a smile on his face.Former India opener Virender Sehwag, who was part of the same panel, struck a more measured tone. He reminded fans that no side can be underestimated in a global event.“It can happen; it is not as if we are invincible and cannot lose to anyone. The other team is also here to play and win. You had one bad day; you lost that day to South Africa. Then we have defeated Zimbabwe, and now if we defeat the West Indies, we will qualify with a laugh,” Sehwag said.He also reflected on the intense public reaction that followed India’s defeat to South Africa.“Our country is quite emotional; they get emotional quite quickly. After losing just one match, people were reacting as if we lost the World Cup,” he added.With England, New Zealand and South Africa already through to the semi-finals, the final spot will be determined in this high-pressure showdown between India and the West Indies.
