Kieron Pollard, who missed the last two matches of the ODI series against India, is expected to return for the T20Is. On the eve of the first match in Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, the West Indies skipper said that it is time for the players to move on from the IPL mega auction and focus on taming the hosts in the 20-over games. 

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West Indies had lost the ODI series 3-0. While Rohit Sharma and co will be high on confidence, Pollard believes that his team can make a dent if they perform consistently. 

From the large pool of available players, 14 West Indians were chosen to join Pollard, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, who were retained by their respective franchises ahead of the auction, making up the largest number of foreign players in the IPL, from any territory outside of India.

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“That’s (IPL auction) is done and dusted and it’s back to International cricket. When the IPL comes they will deal with that. It’s about representing the West Indies and putting your best foot forward now,” the Windies skipper said. 

Nicholas Pooran, who stepped in for Pollard as captain, fetched the highest bid among his teammates when he was picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 10.75 crore in the IPL mega auction.

Asked if the players will look to justify their hefty pay days by showcasing their talents in the series, Pollard said,”I would not say that. Every time they get an opportunity to represent their International team, they want to do well.

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“These guys would have been selected in the IPL. Each and every time you step on a cricket field, you are expected to do well. Guys who have not been here before would have got some experience of the conditions coming up against a well drilled Indian team. For us it’s about improving all the time. We can definitely improve on that,” he said.

He further added that the T20I series vs England was ‘very good’. The Windies won the five-match series against Eoin Morgan’s men ahead of the India tour.

“For us it’s about consistency. We had a very good series against England. We faltered a couple of times in the back end of the innings. But we showed that there’s something inside these guys and there’s a belief to do well,” Pollard said.

“We are very confident. We have been able to come out on top against England, it will give us that extra confidence against India.