'Be aggressive, but keep conditions in mind'-VVS Laxman's T20I mantra

Hardik Pandya with VVS Laxman [Source: Twitter]

India needs to regroup and leave aside the disappointments from their ICC T20 World Cup semi-finals loss as they gear up to take on New Zealand in a three-match T20I series in their backyard, beginning Friday. 

Stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya will command a squad that sees an abundance of youngsters in the absence of the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, and KL Rahul.

Head coach Rahul Dravid, too, is away on a break, with former India great VVS Laxman taking over the reins for the New Zealand tour. A lot has been spoken about India's batting approach in T20Is, since the T20 World Cup.

Laxman, known for his wrist-work and classical batting, has urged his batters to showcase aggressive cricket and play according to the conditions. 

Speaking on the eve of the first T20I, Laxman according to ANI said,  

"In the T20 format, you require to play with freedom and a fearless attitude. But at the same time, it’s important to assess the condition & fulfill the needs of the team. I think it’s important to be flexible but in T20 cricket, you require to express yourself and that’s when you’ll be successful."

Laxman further elaborated that in coming times multifaceted players will be in-demand across the T20 format. 

The head of NCA backed Pandya as a leader, who according to him leads by example as witnessed with the Gujarat Titans in their title-winning IPL 2022 edition.  

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