India captain Rohit Sharma is focused on understanding the conditions in New York during their T20 World Cup 2024 warm-up fixture against Bangladesh on June 1. The Men in Blue will take on Bangladesh at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York in their only warm-up game ahead of the mega event.
Ahead of the fixture, the Indian skipper revealed that the team is just trying to acclimatise to the conditions as they haven’t been there before and hence the warm-up game becomes crucial for the side. Rohit also mentioned the importance of getting into the rhythm ahead of their first game on June 5 by getting the feel of the ground and pitch.
“We’re looking to understand the conditions more importantly (before the tournament proper) as we haven’t been here before. (We will) try and make the most of the conditions, get used to what it’s going to be like on June 5 when we play our first game. It’s just about getting into that rhythm of getting the feel of the ground, pitch and stuff like that,” said Rohit in a video released by the ICC.
Further speaking ahead, the Indian captain expressed excitement for the upcoming T20 extravaganza being hosted for the first time in the USA. The 37-year-old stated that he’s expecting a good crowd throughout the event and the players are equally excited.
“It looks beautiful. It's quite an open ground. When we come here and play our first game, I just can't wait to feel the atmosphere in the stadium," the India captain said.
“It's a decent capacity as well. Hopefully, it's going to be a good one. People in New York will be very interested in coming and watching the World Cup, with the World Cup happening for the first time here. I'm pretty sure all the fans across the various teams are quite excited and looking forward to this tournament. And also as players can't wait to get started,” he added.
Notably, India will start their campaign against Ireland on June 5 and take on Pakistan and the USA on June 9 and 12 respectively in their next two fixtures. The Men in Blue will play their last Group A fixture against Canada on June 15 in Florida before the tournament moves to the Super 8 stage.
Meanwhile, the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan game has got a security threat from the terrorist organisation ISIS-K. However, the New York Governor Kathy Hochul has assured that her team is working in coordination with law enforcement agencies to provide robust security for the fans during the tournament.
