T20 World Cup: We Miss Virat, Rohit's Mentorship, Says Canada's Bajwa

New Delhi—Canada captain Dilpreet Bajwa has hailed Indian superstars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as invaluable mentors, admitting the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup feels incomplete without their presence.

Recalling the 2021 edition in Florida, Bajwa told ANI that although Canada did not face India, the informal sessions he shared with Kohli and Sharma left a lasting imprint on his leadership philosophy. “We were together in the last T20 World Cup. We didn’t have a match with India, but we spent time together in Florida. We are missing him. Both are good people,” he said, emphasising how the duo’s guidance extended well beyond net sessions.

For Bajwa, returning to India as tournament captain carries deep personal resonance. “It’s a proud moment to be the captain of the Canada team and to play in the World Cup in India. It’s a proud moment for my family,” he stated, underscoring the significance of leading an associate nation on cricket’s most celebrated stage.

The sentiment comes on the heels of Canada’s 57-run defeat to South Africa in their Group D opener. Bajwa pinpointed early wickets and faltering power-play execution as critical setbacks. “We lost some early wickets; we were unlucky and couldn’t execute well. We had high hopes that we would give Canada a good start. But we didn’t get that in the last match,” he reflected.

Looking ahead to the February 13 clash against the United Arab Emirates at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium, Bajwa stressed that rectifying the power-play approach is non-negotiable. “In T20 cricket, it is crucial in the powerplay to give a good start, and we will try to execute it in the next match,” he asserted.

Canada squad: Dilpreet Bajwa (captain), Yuvraj Samra, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva (wicketkeeper), Kanwarpal Tathgur, Jaskaran Singh, Saad Bin Zafar, Shivam Sharma, Dilon Heyliger, Kaleem Sana, Ansh Patel, Ajayveer Hundal, Ravinderpal Singh, Harsh Thaker.