Three ICC finals in 12 months: India coach hopes team will be third time lucky in T20 WC

INDIA head coach Rahul Dravid has said the team has been remarkably consistent to play three International Cricket Council (ICC) finals in the last 12 months and hoped the combination of smart cricket and luck will land his side an elusive ICC title at Bridgetown in Barbados on Saturday (29).

India have been the vastly superior team in the ongoing T20 World Cup, just like they were in the 50-over World Cup at home last year where they faltered at the final hurdle against Australia after winning all games.

Now, Rohit Sharma's men will face South Africa in the summit match at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, hoping to win a global title since their triumph in the 2013 Champions Trophy.

Read: PREVIEW: India take on South Africa in T20 World Cup final

“It is a good thing we have been consistently playing good cricket. We have been in finals in all three formats and credit goes to the players. If we play well and rub of the green goes (our way) we will surely win,” said Dravid, who will be looking to end his tenure on a high.

The team travelled to Barbados right after the semifinal in Guyana against England which they won comprehensively by 68 runs, but Dravid said India are mentally ready for the match.

Read: India thrash England by 68 runs to make T20 World Cup final

“In terms of our preparation, we've just got one day in the middle, so it's unlikely we're going to be having practice. “It's just about all the guys getting into ensuring that physically, mentally, tactically we are ready for the game.”

The 51-year-old also underlined his side's preparedness for the summit match.

“Those are the things that we can control, that we are fresh, that we've looked after all our niggles, if there are any. We've done all our tactical preparation and we're mentally relaxed and excited and looking forward to the game.

“We'll be looking to do that in the next 24 hours and try and get ourselves in the right frame of mind to be able to play that game,” said the former India captain.

In 2023, India lost the World Test Championship final in England and the 50-over World Cup final to Australia at home.

Have they taken any lessons from those heartbreaking defeats?

“No, nothing. I thought we were very well-prepared in Ahmedabad (one-day world cup). We ticked all the boxes and, on that day, the other team played better. That's part of the sport.

“The other team that's coming there to play has also obviously reached the final because they're a good team and they're playing very good cricket as well. So, they have as much right to win it as we do, but we hope that we'll play better cricket on the day,” he said.

(With PTI inputs)