I am sure that everyone is relaxed ahead of the final: Shakib Al Hasan

Come Sunday, and Sri Lanka will witness a cracking contest, minus the home side, in the series decider of the triangular series. This will be Bangladesh’s fifth multi-nation tournament finals while India are seasoned campaigners. The Indian squad is without their regular skipper Virat Kohli and the likes of MS Dhoni and Kuldeep Yadav, but with Rohit Sharma at the helm of things, powered by Shikhar Dhawan and other key players, the side will start as favourites.

Shakib keeps it simple ahead of title clash

Skipper Shakib Al Hasan said that he wants his boys to be relaxed ahead of the finals and believes they can cause an upset tomorrow.

“We haven’t discussed the final so we are not thinking about it as pressure yet,” Shakib said. “This, I think, is a big realization of how we are handling this game so far. If you think about pressure, it is pressure. If you don’t think about pressure, it is not pressure. I am sure everyone is relaxed, and if we can be like this till tomorrow’s match, it will be good for us.”

He added that preparations for a decider depend on individual mentality. He wants to see the game against India as just another contest to flush out the butterflies.

“We are not thinking too far ahead. We have to be relaxed and open-minded. It is important to be mentally free to do well in T20s.” he said.

“I hope no one takes any pressure, and stays focused on the process. Everyone has a different mentality. I would hope that none of our players have that mental block. It would help us to play well. If we think it is a big final against India, then it is pressure. Rather, let’s think about a bat versus ball contest.” he added.

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