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Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has opined that the Men in Blue need to play courageous cricket if they want to end their jinx in ICC tournaments by winning knockout games.
The Men in Blue, under Rohit Sharma, have been brilliant in the 2023 ODI World Cup at home. They have won all their eight league-stage matches so far and are the only unbeaten side in the competition. By virtue of their magnificent performance, India are set to finish on top of the points table and are most likely to meet New Zealand in the first semi-final.
While India are being touted as favorites to lift the crown, their recent history in ICC knockout matches raises some apprehensions. The Men in Blue went down to Australia in the 2015 World Cup semis and to New Zealand in 2019.
In a Q&A session on Sportskeeda’s YouTube channel, Gambhir was asked if India needed a special innings like the one he played in the 2011 World Cup final to overcome their jinx in ICC knockout matches. Gambhir disagreed and replied:
“Absolutely not. I don’t like talking too much about my own innings because I think it is done and dusted. It happened 12 years back. What India lacks is probably they need to be more courageous. I am sure they would have learnt that from the experiences of 2015, 2019 [World Cups] and World Test Championship [WTC] finals. You can only win knockouts if you show courage."
“The best way to win semi-finals and finals is by playing positive cricket. Do what you need to do out in the middle. Things will be fine,” he reiterated.
India haven’t won an ICC event in any format since the Champions Trophy triumph in 2013. They were hammered by 10 wickets by England in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final and also went down to Australia in the WTC final earlier this year.
“Sun will rise again” - Gambhir urges fans to show restraint if India falter in knockouts again
While discussing India’s performances in ICC knockout matches, Gambhir urged fans not to go overboard with their criticism in case the team fails to go all the way again.
Pointing out that the players are the most disappointed in such a scenario, he concluded:
“The world will not come to an end. Life will not end. Sun will rise again. What if India doesn’t win the World Cup final? What if they don’t win the World Cup semi-final? There will be disappointment, people will be sad. No fan, commentator or expert will be more disappointed that the 15-20 people in the dressing room. It’s important to understand that.”
India will most probably face New Zealand in the first semi-final of the 2023 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 15.
