'Pressure is to continue to play the way I'm playing': Head eyes T20 WC glory

Travis Head raised his career graph a few notches up in 2023 but the Australian batter understands that staying at that level is a challenging task and the first stop for him in that journey is the upcoming T20 World CupHeads hundreds in two of the biggest cricketing occasions last year the WTC final and the 50over World Cup summit clash iquest were Australias guiding force against IndiaBut the 30yearold now wants to be at his bestprepared self for the T20 World Cup through the Indian Premier League experienceIve come a long way as a player I guess owning a little bit of the style I want to play and the way I have played overseas too Ive been able to tick a few boxes Now the pressure is to continue to play the way I am playing Head told PTI in an interviewI think in all formats I need to make sure that I go back to what simplifies everything which is my technique and my blueprint he addedHead showed his adaptive skills while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the ongoing IPLComing in as an opener Head made 133 runs from five matches while striking at 177 giving SRH early momentum and also underscoring his readiness for a hectic T20 role for his countryWith the World Cup coming around the corner and hopefully being involved in that squad and batting at the top of the order it gives me good preparation here in the IPL to try and get some runs and have a little bit of form going into the T20 World Cup noted HeadBut playing a full season of IPL could lead to burnout ahead of the ICC marquee event in JuneHead was aware of it I think it is important for me to make sure that Im mentally fresh throughout the IPL and continuing to work on my game and making sure that I am ready for the World Cup when that time comes But I am feeling like I am prepared and ready at the moment he addedThe confidence level inside Head was evident when he smashed a 24ball 62 in his first IPL match in seven yearsAlso ReadItrsquos MI v MumbaiThe South Australian said his increased game awareness helped him make an instant impactIt was nice to get some runs in the first game and honestly I didnt really have too many expectations Its been a long time between IPLs for me seven years but Ive learned a lot over that time and am a lot more mature now I feel like I understand my game a lot more So a lot of different feelings coming back and not trying to be too nervous or worried about results I am just making sure that the things that Ive done over the last few years are going to work and I best prepare myself to play well for the franchise he saidHowever Head admitted that the presence of Pat Cummins captain and Daniel Vettori head coach in the SRH dressing room eased him into the new environmentDefinitely having Pat and Dan who Ive worked closely with for Australia in the last few years has helped me Its a very relaxed environment Soon as I got my contract I knew that I had the backing from those guys and theyve confidence in my game he saidA chat with Head will not be completed with his exploits against India last year with him terming the World Cup final at Ahmedabad the biggest moment in his careerThe lefthander made buccaneering 120ball 137 propelling the Aussies to a sixwicket victory and their sixth ODI World titleI think the World Cup final was probably the biggest match of my career regardless of whether I got runs or not It was a huge moment Obviously I have not played in a World Cup before So to have all the stuff that happened making it to a final and then being able to contribute in the final makes it all so much better he explainedHead said the foundation for his overwhelming success against India was built during the 2023 Test tour where he made a couple of 40s at New Delhi and Indore besides a 90 at AhmedabadThe two finals come to mind But a big Test series 2023 and some T20 games in between I feel I drew a lot of my blueprint and confidence from that Test tour in India which then flowed into the World Test Championship and then especially to the World Cup final I was able to draw back on some of the things that worked well on those wickets and its nice that it has come together in big games for meiquest Head offeredHead felt that his confident approach found perfect resonance in the Hyderabad dressing room in the ongoing IPLWe want to be aggressive and I think weve shown that in the first five games It suited me as well I feel at the moment were being really aggressive in the right way and the right moments Obviously Power Play is very important for us and hopefully Abhi Abhishek Sharma and I can continue to do what weve been doing in the Power Play he signed offWith agency inputs