Love to play against India in first game of T20 World Cup next year: Italy captain Joe Burns

DUBAI: Having led Italy to their maiden World Cup qualification, the European team's Australia-born captain Joe Burns wants to "jump in at the deep end" during the T20 showpiece next year by taking on defending champions India in the opening match itself.

Italy made the cut for the event in India and Sri Lanka next year with a solid showing in the European Qualifiers that concluded earlier this month.

The draws for the World Cup are still some time away from being finalised.

"You come to your first World Cup and you want the big stage. I'd love to be playing India in the first game in India," Burns told ICC Digital.

"I'd love to be playing Australia, England or all the top teams, that's the experience that you're after. You want to test yourself, you want to really jump in at the deep end," he added.

Burns said qualifying for the tournament was still a "surreal" feeling for him.

"A lot of planning and preparation went into it (qualifying). So it's satisfying from that aspect from the cricket side as well," he said.

He said the entire process was emotional for him and for the rest of the team.

"We did one week training camp in Rome, one week in the UK, and I said to them the first day in Rome, 'I don't care if we're playing Luxembourg in the first Sub-Regional game or India in a World Cup Final. I just want us to be the most prepared team in world cricket'."

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