World T20 champions India on alert for Afghanistan after Japan scare

India's cricket team captain, Shreyas Iyer, cautioned against any sense of complacency as the Asian Games quarter-final against Afghanistan approaches. Iyer acknowledged that the recent scare against Japan in a rain-hit match had jolted the team out of any complacency. India secured the Suzuki Cup in a five-over shootout against Japan, emphasizing the dangers of underestimating any opponent, especially in challenging conditions.

India, along with Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, are seeded directly into the last eight, while Afghanistan, Nepal, Malaysia and Hong Kong advanced from the preliminary groups. Iyer emphasized the importance of adapting to unfamiliar pitches, noting that Japan's performance had demonstrated that no team can be taken lightly.

The pressure to perform is high, with expectations placed on the world's most followed cricket team. While Iyer accepted this good pressure, he advised against focusing too much on the outcome and instead stressed the need to maintain focus and adapt quickly to the pitch conditions on match day.