T20 World Cup: Sunil Gavaskar Opposes ‘Optional Training’ Session

T20 World Cup 2022: Indian veteran cricket batsman Sunil Gavaskar said he is unhappy with the decision of optional training sessions for Team India.

Sunil Gavaskar, a legendary Indian batter, expressed disappointment with Team India’s choice to skip a mandatory training session two days before their tense T20 World Cup 2022 opener against Pakistan in Melbourne on Friday. 

Gavaskar questioned India’s decision to participate in an ‘optional training’ session on Friday given the likelihood of rain in Melbourne on Saturday and Sunday.

Sunil Gavaskar said in an interview with India Today that India should make an announcement at the beginning of the T20 World Cup by establishing a routine in their training sessions and practicing with a goal in mind rather than choosing optional practice.

The optional training session was led by India captain Rohit Sharma on Friday at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Rohit took throwdowns that simplified left-arm pacers while batting in the nets. 

At the net session in Melbourne, Rohit was joined by people like Dinesh Karthik, Deepak Hooda, Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, and Mohammed Shami.

The Pakistan Cricket Board shared videos of the players’ rigorous practice session on Friday, in contrast, when they showed up in full force for their training session.

Sunil Gavaskar said, “I’m not sure what it tells you, but I disagree with what it says. I disagree with it for the obvious reason that you chose not to practice the following day after your opening match (warm-up match) was rained out, after arriving in Melbourne and having a day off.”

“At the end of the day, players who skipped practice can end up being match-winners. But you want to have a team rhythm. You want to identify a sense of purpose”, stated Gavaskar.