T20 World Cup 2021: India call off optional practice session ahead of Namibia encounter

New Zealand have broken billions of hearts with yet another clinical show against Afghanistan in the ongoing T20 World Cup. They won by eight wickets with a calculated chase of 125 runs to knock out both Afghanistan and India. Virat Kohli’s men needed Afghanistan to beat the Kiwis in order to have any chance of making it to semi-finals. But not having fate in own hands, barely helps a team in a tournament like World Cup.

New Zealand’s win confirmed that the game between India and Namibia on Monday will be only a dead rubber with the semi-finalists decided. Losing to both Pakistan and New Zealand in the first two matches hurt India badly and though they came back strongly with massive wins over Afghanistan and Scotland, it was always a tall ask for them. This is also the first time that India have not qualified for semi-finals of an ICC event since T20 WC in 2012.

Meanwhile, according to India Today, India also cancelled their optional practice session soon after New Zealand won against Afghanistan. The players will be disappointed as they were one of the favourites to go all the way in the mega event.

Virat Kohli’s last match as captain

The game against Namibia will certainly end of an era for this Indian team. Virat Kohli has already announced that he will step down as T20I captain after the T20 World Cup while this is the last assignment of the coaching staff comprising head coach Ravi Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar. Rahul Dravid is set to succeed Shastri as the head coach of team India while BCCI is yet to confirmed other support staff members.

India are next scheduled to face New Zealand, their nemesis at the ICC events for a long time now, in a three-match T20I series at home starting from November 17. The two teams will lock horns in two Tests starting from November 25.