Commendable performance in Asiad, team handled pressure situation well: BCCI chief
BCCI President Mithun Manhas on Saturday lauded the Indian men’s cricket team for retaining their Asian Games gold with a win over arch-rivals Pakistan, and said the Shreyas Iyer-led outfit handled a high-pressure final well. India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the final at Nisshin, Japan, emulating the women’s counterparts who had also defended their gold medal last week.
“By far the best team of the tournament. We are the defending champions, and the performance they have shown this time is commendable,” Manhas told reporters here.
He was delighted to see the way the team handled pressure. “They defeated arch-rivals Pakistan, who I feel don’t offer much competition anymore, and the way our team handled pressure situations…no other team in the world can do that,” he said. He praised Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma for coming up with important knocks in the medal clash. “This is a team sport. Tilak Varma batted brilliantly, and Abhishek Sharma set the tone for the game. The job of openers is to build the game, and the middle order finishes the game. So, openers basically set the tone.
“Team India’s batting has been tremendous, and bowling…I would say that everyone defended a good total together,” he said.
The former Delhi cricketer also thanked ICC chief Jay Shah for doing commendable work to strengthen men’s and women’s teams during his tenure as BCCI secretary. “I would like to thank Jay Shah once again here. He was the then (BCCI) secretary and his contribution has been significant in building this team. Not just for the men’s team, our women’s team has also won the World Cup. His contribution has been very big. So, a special thanks to him too,” he added.
Manhas dedicated the Asian Games victory to cricket fans and the Armed Forces. “This victory, I believe, we should dedicate to the thousands of crores of fans who pray for the Indian team, and especially to those soldiers who sacrificed their lives for country,” he said.
