‘They can’t be complacent’ – Former Sri Lanka legend cautions India after hat-trick of T20I series clean sweeps

India whitewashed Sri Lanka in a three-match T20 series to take their winning streak to 12 games in the shortest format. After their poor start in the T20 World Cup last year, India have not lost a single game.

Former Sri Lankan all-rounder, Russel Arnold has said that the Indian team has performed well do deserve a little pride in themselves. However, they cannot show excessive pride in what they have achieved.

Rohit Sharma has led India to three clean sweeps since he became India’s full-time captain. He first won the series against New Zealand last year, and then against West Indies and Sri Lanka were the assignments that followed.

Arnold said this in an interview with Cricket.com when asked whether the Indian team had a ‘chink’. He said, “India can’t get complacent. You have to be cocky, I don’t blame you to be cocky because that’s the fact of the matter. India have made lots of changes, and wherever they turn, there are quality players coming out. They are not giving any breathing space to the opposition.”

Further, he said India is giving players chances to add depth to its squad. He also lauded India’s batting. According to him, India is playing a ‘risk-free’ brand of cricket, but they are still advancing. Having won 12 straight matches and having a deep squad will only enhance preparation for the T20 World Cup.

“They have won 12 games on the trot, which is a good achievement from the T20 World Cup point of view. At the end of the day, you can only take care of things that are in front of you. They were able to try new players and that’s what depth does to you. The batting, they are scoring runs from everywhere. Sometimes, they play risk-free cricket but are still moving forward,” added Arnold.