Roadmap for 2024 T20 World Cup starts now, lot of people will get enough chances: Hardik Pandya
Wellington (PTI): Stand-in T20I skipper Hardik Pandya on Wednesday said the road map for 2024 T20 World Cup starts now, adding that going forward a lot of players will be given chances to stake their claim in the side.
India's 2022 T20 World Cup hopes ended with a 10-wicket defeat against eventual champions England in the semifinals.
Pandya, who will be leading India in the three-match T20I series against New Zealand, starting Friday, said the team needs to overcome from their World Cup failure.
"Yes, we all know there is disappointment of the World Cup but we are professionals and we need to cope with it. How we cope with our success we cope up with our failures and move forward and look forward to get better rectify our mistakes," Pandya told reporters.
The next T20 World Cup will be played in 2024 in the West Indies and United States and the Indian squad is expected to undergo a major transition in the next two years with the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma among others being gradually eased out of the set up.
"Yes, the next T20 WC is almost two years so we have time (to unearth new talent). A lot of cricket will be played and a lot of people will get enough chances.
"The road map starts from now. But it's too fresh right now. We have a lot of time so we will sit down and have conversations on those grounds," Pandya said.
"Right now it's making sure that the boys enjoy playing here. We will talk about the future later," he added.
The white-ball tour of New Zealand that includes three T20Is and as many ODIs will not feature Kohli, Rohit, opener KL Rahul, keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik and veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin as all have been rested as part of "workload management of players".
In their absence, the likes of Shubman Gill, Umran Malik, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson have been given a chance and Pandya says it will be an important series for them in the grand scheme of things.
"The main boys are not here but the same time the talent which the guys who are already here, they have also been playing for one and-a-half, two years now," he said.
"They have had ample chances and enough time in international cricket to express themselves and show what they have. Very excited for them, new bunch of guys, new energy and excitement.
"Every series is important. You can't play an international game thinking its not important. Yes World Cup is there but that's a different format, it's 50 overs.
"But it is an important series for a lot of boys who if they eventually do well here will be able to put a strong case going forward."
We don't need to prove anything to anyone
In a scathing column after the semifinal loss, former England captain Michael Vaughan wrote that India has achieved absolutely nothing since winning the ODI World Cup at home in 2011 and has been the most under-performing white-ball team in the history.
Asked about Vaughan's remarks, the all-rounder said, "I don't think we need to prove anything to anyone.
"Obviously when you don't do well, people will have their opinion, which we respect. I understand people have different point of views," Pandya said.
"Being at the international level, I don't think we need to prove anything to anyone. It's a sport, you keep trying to get better and eventually when the result is supposed to happen it will happen.
"There are things we need to work on, going forward we will rectify and work on it," he added.
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SGPC writes to Mann, seeks ban on 'Emergency' in Punjab a day before release
Amritsar, Jan 16 (PTI): The SGPC on Thursday wrote to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, seeking a ban on the release of Kangana Ranaut's movie 'Emergency' saying it "tarnishes" the image of Sikhs and "misrepresents" history.
Actor and BJP MP Ranaut's 'Emergency' is slated to release in cinemas on January 17.
In the letter to Mann, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief Harjinder Singh Dhami expressed strong objection to Ranaut's film.
Dhami said that if the film is released in Punjab, it will spark "outrage and anger" in the Sikh community and therefore it is the responsibility of the government to ban its release in the state.
The SGPC, an apex gurdwara body, had earlier also protested the film.
"It has come to our attention that the movie 'Emergency' produced by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut is going to be released on 17th January 2025 in cinemas in different cities of Punjab and the tickets have also started to be booked," its letter to Mann read.
Dhami said the SGPC had also protested the release of the movie in a letter to the Punjab Chief Secretary on November 14 last year.
"But it is sad that the Punjab government has not taken any step till now. If this film is released on January 17, 2025, then it is natural to create outrage and anger in the Sikh world," the current letter read.
Dhami said the SGPC will submit a letter also to all the deputy commissioners in Punjab, seeking a ban on the film in the state.
The SGPC denounced the "character assassination" of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the Khalistani militant killed in 1984 in a military operation.
"If this film is released in Punjab, we will be forced to strongly oppose it at the state level," Dhami said.
In August last year, the SGPC sent a legal notice to the producers of the 'Emergency' film, alleging that it "misrepresented" the character and history of Sikhs, and asked them to remove the objectionable scenes depicting "anti-Sikh" sentiments.
In the notice, the producers of the film, including Kangana Ranaut, were asked to remove the trailer released on August 14 from all public and social media platforms and tender a written apology to the Sikh community.
The SGPC objected to film writing separate letters to the Minister of Information and Broadcasting and the Central Board of Film Certification.
