Bizarre Statement! Gautam Gambhir Drops Bombshell On 'Best Team Didn't Win World Cup' Assessment

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir countered the notion that the best team did not clinch victory in the recently concluded World Cup 2023 final. Gautam Gambhir described such statements as “bizarre” and emphasized that the league stage standings didn’t matter.

India suffered a six-wicket defeat against Australia in the final in Ahmedabad on November 19. The hosts were unbeaten leading up to the summit clash but faltered against Australia. The Men in Blue failed to secure the World Cup title in front of a home crowd after 12 years.

One Of The Bizzare Statements That I Have Heard – Gautam Gambhir

In a conversation with Sportskeeda, Gautam Gambhir emphasized that the team that played the best cricket emerged as the world champion. Gambhir stated that the winner of the tournament was determined by the performance in the knockout matches.

“A lot of people might not like it. I heard some of the experts saying that the best team has not gone on to win the World Cup. That’s absolutely not true. That’s one of the bizarre statements that I have heard. It’s actually the best team that has won the World Cup. Let’s be honest,” Gambhir told Sportskeeda.

“India won 10 matches and were in very good form, so they were favorites. But Australia had also won eight games in a row after losing the first two. Only the best team wins the World Cup. You cannot define it that way – that India won 10 matches but played one poor game. The reality is the semi-final and the final were the knockout matches. It did not matter whether you finished first or fourth [in the league stage],” he added.

India had an impressive run in the World Cup, winning 10 consecutive matches, including the semi-final and all nine league matches. On the other hand, Australia won seven matches in the league stage and secured a final spot by defeating South Africa in the semi-final.

Let’s Not Run Away From Reality – Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir remarked that winning six league matches is relatively easy, but securing victories in both of the crucial knockout matches is a challenging feat. Gambhir emphasized the importance of acknowledging reality and India’s subpar performance in the final.

“It is easy to win six out of eight league matches. Winning two out of two when you know any mistake can cost you is difficult. Let’s accept it that the best team has gone on to win the World Cup. India did not play well, let’s not run away from reality,” Gambhir concluded.

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