Kris Srikkanth opines Team India should have focused on impactful bilateral series leading up to T20 WC

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 13 : Former Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth said on Sunday that leading upto the ICC T20 World Cup, Men in Blue should have focused on impactful bilateral series against top teams and included players who would have been useful in Australian conditions.
Speaking on the Star Sports show Match Point, K Srikkanth spoke on why India played with a conservative approach this T20 World Cup, he said "I really don't know, that is why they did not walk the talk. As a selector or the chairman of the selection committee, I will put it this way."
"Do not take it seriously, series like West Indies and Ireland, you do not take it too seriously as these sides are a bit weak. Even though I am a great fan of West Indies and a fan of Ian Bishop who broke my hand once upon a time, that is a different issue altogether. But you do not take those series seriously, you focus on the series that are very impactful," he said.
"And you have to understand that you are playing in Australia, so for these Australian conditions who would be the right guys here? So that's a mistake they all made in the sense that you have taken the Ireland series seriously, India vs Ireland. India vs England, yes fantastic bilateral series. But do not take teams like Ireland seriously and pick players that are in form," he added.
While replying to K Srikkanth, former West Indies cricketer, Ian Bishop spoke on the level of intensity required by teams to compete in tournaments such as the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, he said "I think it is deeper than that. And everyone will know this, when you play bilateral cricket there is a certain level of intensity, but when you come to a World Cup, there is another step in the level of intensity and the level of responsibility that comes with that."
"So, there is a great book written that you go into an England dressing room, and you see the guys in a bilateral series, and it's like they are having fun. You go into that same dressing room when it is a world cup, and people are on edge it is a different level of focus and intensity required. And I think if you play South Africa or England in a bilateral series before the World Cup, its different when you play them in a World Cup. And that's the mindset that I think has to change. In World Cup cricket, we have to be somehow mentally strong to exhibit that same freedom."
This time, Men in Blue were knocked out in the semi-finals of the ICC T20 World Cup which left millions of cricket fans shattered.
Top knocks from openers Alex Hales and Jos Buttler powered England to an emphatic 10-wicket win over India in the second semi-final of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup in Australia at Adelaide on Thursday.
Put to bat first by England, India posted 168/6 in their 20 overs. Hardik Pandya (63 off 33 balls) and Virat Kohli (50 off 40 balls) were the stars for Men in Blue with the bat. They put on a crucial stand of 61-runs for the fourth wicket.
Pacer Chris Jordan was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3/43. Adil Rashid and Chris Woakes got a wicket each.
Chasing 169, England put pressure on Indian bowlers right from the first over. India did not have an answer for the onslaught brought by Jos Buttler (80*) and Alex Hales (86*). England chased the total with all ten wickets in hand with four overs to spare.
Hales (86* off 47 balls) was adjudged as the 'Man of the Match'.
Coming to the group stage, India had finished the group stage at the top of the Group 2 table with eight points under their belt, having won four matches out of five. They only lost one match in their group stage against South Africa.
Star batter Virat Kohli (296 runs in 6 innings with four fifties and tournament's leading run-scorer), Suryakumar Yadav (239 runs in 6 innings with three fifties), pacer Arshdeep Singh (10 wickets) and all-rounder Hardik Pandya (128 runs with one fifty and eight wickets) were some of India's best performers in the tournament.