T20 World Cup 2021: I Don't Think India Has Got That Mental Strength – Gautam Gambhir After India's 8-Wicket Loss Against NZ

Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir believes that Virat Kohli-led India National Cricket Team doesn’t have the mental strength to win the crucial ICC knockouts games.

India were defeated by New Zealand in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 game by 8 wickets at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, October 31, and now the Virat Kohli-led side has to win the upcoming 3 games and will have to depend on the results of other teams to make it into the semi-finals.

Talking about the New Zealand game, it was a horror show of the Indian batting unit, losing the toss and batting first, India managed to score only 110 runs, with Ravindra Jadeja being the top run-getter for the side with 26 runs under his belt.

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Defending the target except for Jasprit Bumrah, no other bowler was able to pick the wicket, and New Zealand completed the chase in 14.3 overs.

Talent Is One Thing, India Have Got – Gautam Gambhir

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, former Indian cricketer Gambhir said that India has a lot of talented and skilful players, and they win the bilateral series but fail to perform in the big ICC tournaments. He stated:

“Yes talent is one thing, you’ve got all the skills and do really well in bilaterals and stuff. But when it comes to these kind of games and tournaments, this is when you have got to stand up and perform.”

Gautam Gambhir opined that the New Zealand match was like a quarterfinal for India. He also added that India lacks the mental strength to win knockout games. Gautam Gambhir stated:

“This game was literally like a quarterfinal. The problem is with the mental toughness of the side. Suddenly when you know you have got to win the game and can’t make mistakes, in bilaterals it’s different because you can make mistakes there. But in these kind of games, I don’t think India has got that mental strength.”

The 40-year-old expressed his disappointment on the performance of team India in the last few ICC tournaments and said:

“They have the skill and are a very dangerous side. But unfortunately, we can keep talking about it that we need to stand by our team when its not doing well but it’s been a trend and its been happening for a very long time in most of these ICC tournaments, whether its the semifinals or the game today as well. When it mattered the most for someone to put his hand up, they just couldn’t,”

Meanwhile, India will next lock horns with Afghanistan National Cricket Team on November 3 at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Also Read: Explained: How India Can Still Qualify For The Semi-Final Of The ICC T20 World Cup 2021