“If It’s India, So Be It”: Sikandar Raza Issues Bold Challenge to Team India After West Indies Defeat

Following a 107-run defeat against West Indies at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza refused to hide behind excuses. With a massive target of 254, Zimbabwe was bowled out for just 147. Despite the setback, Raza emphasized learning from mistakes rather than blaming conditions or opponents.

No Room for Excuses: Sikandar Raza
Speaking after the match, Raza said, “I don’t want to think about excuses. If we focus on the venue or the weather, we won’t learn anything from this game. What matters is that we take lessons from this loss. To move forward, we must play good cricket everywhere—be it India or Sri Lanka. Venue changes don’t bother me.”

Clash With India at Chepauk
Zimbabwe’s next game is against India at Chennai’s M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. Raza was candid about the upcoming challenge: “Whenever Zimbabwe steps onto the field, our goal is to win. Now, if it’s India, so be it. Both teams are coming off losses, so there’s a lot at stake for us to prove ourselves. We’ll take lessons from Wankhede, use our knowledge of Chennai conditions, and aim to perform better.”

What Went Wrong?
Analyzing the defeat, Raza said he expected a flat pitch but encountered unexpected turn, which led to loss of control. “At one point, Tony and I thought that even if we maintained an 18-run rate in the final 7 overs, we could have turned the match. We were scoring 12–13 runs per over without added pressure, but Gudakesh Moti’s spell completely changed the course of the game,” he explained.

Injury and Lessons for the Future
Raza also updated on his finger injury, stating that he would undergo an X-ray the next day. Despite the loss, he highlighted the positives for Zimbabwe’s young bowlers, who gained valuable experience bowling on slow pitches and containing big hitters. He expressed hope that these lessons would benefit the team in future matches.