New Delhi, March 1 As India prepares for a must-win match against the West Indies, former cricketer Manoj Tiwary has a funny warning for Men in Blue, saying they might struggle to secure IPL contracts if they fail to defeat the Caribbean side in their crucial Super 8s clash of the ICC T20 World Cup at Eden Gardens on Sunday evening.
The Super 8 contest between India and the West Indies will be a virtual quarter-final, with the winner progressing to the semi-finals and the loser bowing out of the tournament. Both teams are locked on two points from as many matches, having registered comprehensive wins over Zimbabwe and suffered defeats to South Africa in the Super Eight stage.
Speaking during a discussion on Cricbuzz, Tiwary expressed confidence in India’s chances while also commenting on the outcome of their loss.
"India have scored 256 in their last match, so from that position, they should go through. There is no pressure at all. The expectation would be to score over 200 and defeat the West Indies easily. If they can't defeat the West Indies, no one will get IPL contracts,” Tiwary said with a smile on his face.
Former India opener Virender Sehwag, who was also part of the discussion, offered a more cautious perspective, stating that no team can be taken lightly in a global tournament.
“It can happen; it is not as if we are invincible and cannot lose to anyone. The other team is also here to play and win. You had one bad day; you lost that day to South Africa. Then we have defeated Zimbabwe, and now if we defeat the West Indies, we will qualify with a laugh,” Sehwag said.
He also highlighted the emotional reactions of fans following India’s defeat to South Africa.
“Our country is quite emotional; they get emotional quite quickly. After losing just one match, people were reacting as if we lost the World Cup,” he added.
England, New Zealand and South Africa have already secured their berths in the semi-finals, leaving one remaining spot to be decided between India and the West Indies in Sunday’s high-stakes encounter.
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