Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has called upon the Indian team management to openly acknowledge the mistakes that have contributed to the team’s ongoing ICC trophy drought. India’s impressive performance in the recent ODI World Cup, reaching the final with an unbeaten run before falling to Australia, was overshadowed by their underwhelming performance in the title clash.
This defeat further extended India’s wait for an ICC trophy, with their last title victory coming in the Champions Trophy in 2013. Sunil Gavaskar, writing in a column for Mid-day, emphasized the need for introspection and acceptance of errors to rectify past shortcomings. “India will have to accept some of the errors they made in the final if they want to go on and win a trophy,” Gavaskar asserted.
The former skipper pointed out that despite the Indian Premier League’s reputation as the premier T20 league globally, the Indian team has failed to secure a T20 World Cup title since 2007.
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“Trying to show solidarity is one thing, but if mistakes are not accepted, then the progress will be slower. Over the next few weeks, big decisions will have to be made by individuals and the selection committee. India not winning the T20 World Cup after 2007 is a huge disappointment considering the exposure its players and youngsters get playing in the IPL,” Sunil Gavaskar remarked.
While acknowledging the disappointment of failing to win the ODI World Cup, Gavaskar urged the team to move forward and focus on future endeavors. He highlighted India’s commendable performance in the last four World Cups, reaching the final twice and the semi-finals on two occasions.
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“India not winning the World Cup was disappointing, no doubt, but that is over now, and the game will move on. Over the last four World Cups, the Indian team entered the final twice with one win and got into the semi-finals on the other two occasions. That is a terrific performance when you compare it with the other teams, and only Australia have been better with two trophy wins,” Sunil Gavaskar explained.
As the next ICC event, the 2024 T20 World Cup, draws closer, Gavaskar’s call for accountability and strategic decision-making could prove crucial for India’s quest to reclaim their ICC glory.
