T20 World Cup 2021: "There should be no excuse" - Sunil Gavaskar reacts to Jasprit Bumrah's "bio-bubble fatigue" statement

Sunil Gavaskar said on Wednesday that bio-bubble fatigue can't be an 'excuse' for India's failures in the T20 World Cup 2021. The former captain remarked that playing for India is an "unbelievable privilege" which should take priority over everything else. It should inspire the players to give it their best shot on the field.

Sunil Gavaskar's observation comes in light of Jasprit Bumrah's comments after India's eight-wicket defeat to New Zealand. The pacer talked about the packed overseas schedule and incessant bio-bubbles in the leadup to the tournament. He admitted that these factors have taken a toll on the players' mental well-being despite their best efforts.

While speaking to Sports Today on the subject, Sunil Gavaskar said:

"Well look, when you are playing for India, everything has got to recede to the background. It's as simple as that. It's an unbelievable privilege and a huge honor to be playing for and representing your country. There are millions who you know, want to get the India cap, the India colors...

'Nobody should be saying that this [bubble fatigue] is there. There should be no real excuse. You should go out there and give it your best. It's as simple as that."

Sunil Gavaskar added that Indian fans don't expect the team to win every game but simply to give their best. The former cricketer added that right now, the players should focus on nothing else but finding their feet in the tournament.

Sunil Gavaskar asserted:

"And that's all the Indian fans are expecting. We all know that you can't win every game. This is a sport, you are going to lose. Even the greatest of players in individual sports, even the greatest of teams lose. And this is a great team, make no mistake. The way they have played over the years, it's a top team, this Indian team is a top champion team.

'But it's only in the multi-country tournaments where they have not found their feet. So I think that's something they need to do and not talk about anything else."

The Indian players have been away from home since July. They played the World Test Championship final, a Test series against England, and the second half of IPL 2021 on the trot. Some players like Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah haven't taken many breaks to manage their workload either.

Catch the next match on the 2021 T20 World Cup schedule here.

But the slip-ups against Pakistan and New Zealand have left them wanting more vigor than ever. The team now needs to win the remaining three matches in the Super 12 stage to have a shot at the semifinals berth.

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Forget what happened, open with Rohit Sharma: Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar also weighed in on India's opening combination for the match. This came with regards to the much-criticized demotion of Rohit Sharma to No.3 against New Zealand. He said India should forget that match and bring the vice-captain back to his usual position against Afghanistan.

Sunil Gavaskar explained:

"He's got to bat at the top of the order, it's as simple as that. Let's forget what happened in the previous game. You saw that it didn't work so you've got to go with somebody like Rohit Sharma."

Sunil Gavaskar opined it would be better for Ishan Kishan as well. He added:

"What it does is it actually helps young Ishan Kishan - if Suryakumar Yadav is not fit still - because when he goes down the order, there are few overs left and he can swing his bat freely because there's no question of doing anything otherwise... Open with Rohit Sharma because he's the kind of batsman that once he plays 15 overs you are pretty much guaranteed to have a [score of] 180-200."

India's must-win encounter against Afghanistan will begin at 7:30 PM IST in Abu Dhabi, which, like Dubai, is a chase-friendly venue.