Mumbai, February 24: Zimbabwe faced a heavy defeat against the West Indies in the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup, losing by 107 runs. The team had played its first four matches in Sri Lanka but had to travel to India for the Super 8 match. Captain Sikandar Raza addressed the challenges of changing venues, stating that it does not bother him. What matters is that the team learns from this loss.
Raza remarked, “I don’t want to think that way. If we keep focusing on changing venues or countries, we won’t learn anything from this match. It’s essential for me and Zimbabwe to take lessons from this experience. Excuses don’t help. If we want to progress, we must play good cricket everywhere, whether here or in Sri Lanka. Thus, venue changes do not trouble me. What matters is what we learn from this match.”
Regarding the pitch at Wankhede Stadium, the captain said, “We expected the pitch to be flat and good, but it started turning later, and that’s where we lost control. From an experience standpoint, it was a fantastic match. The boys will learn to bowl on slow pitches and strategize against batsmen who can hit the ball hard and far. If we play against a team like the West Indies on a smaller ground again, today’s lessons will definitely come in handy.”
On chasing a target of 255 runs, Raza mentioned, “At one point, Tony Munyonga and I believed that even if we needed 18 runs per over in the last seven overs, we still had a chance on this ground. The ball really flies when you connect well. The plan was to maintain a scoring rate of 12-13 runs per over, which was achievable for some time without too much effort. Unfortunately, Gudakesh Motie’s spell changed the entire course of the match. However, if two set batsmen are at the crease, you are never completely out of the game; a lot of runs can be scored in the last five to eight overs.”
He added, “Despite this loss, whenever Zimbabwe steps onto the field, our goal is to win. We want to perform strongly and earn respect. If we face India, they will have the same mindset. Both teams have lost matches, and there is much to prove. We will take today’s lessons, utilize what we know about Chennai, and strive to perform better. We’ll see what happens next.”