T20 World Cup 2021 | Half the England squad playing in IPL is an advantage ahead of T20 WC, says Tymal Mills

10/04/2021

Tymal Mills believed that England are at advantage ahead of the T20 World Cup, with half of the side featuring in IPL 2021 in the UAE. Mills, who was drafted into England's 15-member squad for the tournament, was confident that the Eoin Morgan led-side could challenge any side on a given day.

England, who finished runners-up at the 2016 T20 World Cup, are once again among strong contenders for the title, being loaded with match-winners in their ranks. After winning the 2019 ODI World Cup, Eoin Morgan would now have his eyes set on his second ICC Trophy as captain.

England’s eight players of the 15-member squad are currently featuring in the UAE leg of IPL 2021. Tymal Mills reckoned that the IPL experience will help players to understand UAE conditions, and that would be a great advantage ahead of the T20 World Cup. He was confident that the team is enough to beat any team, despite the unavailibility of Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer.

"One of our advantages is that we've got half the squad playing in the IPL at the moment. I'm sure we'll come out of that with a bunch of information, and the analyst [Nathan Leamon] is out there with KKR. We'll be well-prepped and well-versed by the time we get together,” Mills said on Monday.

"I'm sure we'll be full of confidence and back ourselves to beat any team. The pitches look like they've been quite sluggish, particularly in the day games. It looks like they're trying - particularly in Dubai - to keep the pitches with quite a bit of grass on to keep them fresh by the time the World Cup starts. We've got a very strong, very adaptable squad and most of the guys have played a lot of cricket in that area, whether it's IPL, PSL or internationally," he added.

The England players who are not featuring in the IPL will reach UAE and complete the quarantine period ahead of the T20 World Cup. Mills, who has played in the UAE previously across various T20 leagues including the PSL, stated that the familiarity of the conditions will benefit him in the tournament.

"I've played in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai a lot, so they're three grounds I'm comfortable with. It's nice to be going to places that I know and grounds I have a decent record at but ultimately previous records don't really mean an awful lot. This will be the highest level of competition I've played at, playing against international teams in every game and some of the best players in the world. I'm looking forward to seeing how I go against them, if I get a go,” Mills said.

"I'm a big believer in playing to your strengths. I'm going to get out there and do what I've been doing for the last few years, trying to be smart about it. You make tweaks here and there and if there's something blatantly obvious I need to alter with regards to ground dimensions or a particular batter, I'll do that, but I'm going to come hard in the Powerplay and then mix it up throughout the middle and end. We'll see where we get to."

England, the 2010 T20 World Cup winners, will begin their campaign against the defending champions West Indies on October 23.