In T20, the first six overs are the key: Rai

Cape Town, Feb 25: Comeback man Suresh Rai feels that in T20s it is all about the first six overs and that is where every team has to cash in to win games.

Rai said that he wants to continue his strong showing in the T20 Intertiol (T20I) series against South Africa in the upcoming tourments also, including the IPL, in his bid to make a comeback into the One Day Intertiol (ODI) squad.

“I think in T20s, it is all about six overs. You can put a lot of bowlers back easily if you have wickets in hand and you can execute later on,” Rai told reporters after helping India win the T20I series 2-1 by hitting 43 off 27 balls and bagging one wicket for 27 runs in three overs in the third and fil match.

“This moment (comeback) is very important for me. From here on we will play in Sri Lanka and then IPL. We have a lot of matches coming up. I have been part of the World Cup before and I have won the World Cup before in 2011. It was my first World Cup and we won the trophy. That was an unbelievable feeling,” Rai said.

“Coming back to ODIs, I have done well at No. 5. It is just a matter of couple more games and I think I can show that I can definitely come back in the ODIs soon,” said Rai who was adjudged man of the match.

“I worked really hard for the last two years. Each and every session I was doing in the gym or on the field, I was just hoping when am I going to play for India again. I have worked really hard on my game as well and my fitness and mental toughness. When team India wins everything looks so nice,” he said.

The 31-year-old left handed batsman said the Indian team was a confident bunch of players, which was reflected in the results.

“The way we played in Tests and ODIs, it showed what we can achieve as a team in South Africa. No team has ever done it before. That confidence in the dressing room gave us license to enjoy ourselves on the ground and express ourselves. That’s why we won this game. We bowled beautifully in the first six overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya did well.

“T20 cricket is all about how you put your attitude on the field and that’s all we showed today,” he said.

Heaping praise on skipper Virat Kohli, who missed the third T20 with a stiff back, Rai said he is very flexible and allowed Rai to bat at No.3 which is usually Kohli’s position. IANS