T20 World Cup 2021: Can't Blame The IPL If Anything Goes Wrong With Indian Cricket - Gautam Gambhir

Former India batsman Gautam Gambhir has defended against the blame which fans have been putting on the IPL for Team India’s poor performance in the ongoing T20 World Cup.

Virat Kohli’s side have been outplayed in both their World Cup matches so far, by Pakistan and New Zealand, and are on the verge of being knocked out should they lose to Afghanistan on Wednesday.

The players spent a month playing the second half of the IPL 2021, also in the UAE. However, despite being acclimatised to the conditions and having had a high level of cricket, the batters have failed to come good in the World Cup.

Gautam Gambhir stated that Pakistan and New Zealand played much better cricket than India, and fans should accept that instead of targetting the IPL.

“You can’t blame the IPL. If anything goes wrong with Indian cricket, everyone starts pointing fingers towards the IPL. This is wrong. Sometimes, you have to expect that 2-3 teams are playing better cricket than you. The earlier you accept that, the better it will be for you,” Gautam Gambhir told Star Sports.

He reckoned India weren’t “brave enough” versus the Kiwis and looked “nervous” on the night. Gautam Gambhir highlighted that India suffered a similar fate two years ago when they went to the World Cup after the IPL.

“In the previous game against New Zealand, we weren’t brave enough, we were so nervous before the game. What has that got to do with IPL? It was similar in the 2019 World Cup semi-final as well. At that time, we had come to the World Cup after playing in the IPL as well,” the former opener added.

Afghanistan aren’t pushovers: Gautam Gambhir

India need to win all their three remaining matches by big margins to stand a chance for the semi-final. However, Gautam Gambhir warned Kohli’s side to be wary of Afghanistan, who have attained two wins out of three matches so far.

“Afghanistan aren’t pushovers. They’ve a better bowling attack than the likes of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. In such a situation when runs are dried up, batters tend to play for their position, which can be extra motivation. Do that and get runs on the board. You try to win first, rather than thinking about the NRR. Once you are in the game, you play according to the situation,” the 40-year-old commentator asserted.

This is a must-win game for India; a defeat to Afghanistan will knock Kohli’s side out of the tournament.

Also Read: ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Afghanistan Won’t Be Easy Opponents For India: Sunil Gavaskar