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Former batter Gautam Gambhir feels it's wrong to blame the Indian Premier League (IPL) for India's lacklustre show at the ongoing T20 World Cup. Defeats to arch-rivals Pakistan and World Cup nemesis New Zealand have put the Virat Kohli-led Indian unit in a tricky spot, with its hopes of qualifying for the semi-final hanging by a thread.
While the Indian team is staring at group-stage exit at the moment, Gambhir made no bones in admitting that other sides have played better cricket than the Men in Blue. He also described the New Zealand defeat as a repeat of the 2019 World Cup semi-final between the two teams.
"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," Gambhir told Star Sports.
"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," he added.
Indian unit will look to notch up their first win of their T20 World Cup 2021 campaign as they take on an unpredictable Afghanistan side on Wednesday (November 3). Afghanistan won their two games against Scotland and Namibia and were in the contest against Pakistan for the better part before Asif Ali took the game away with four sixes in one over
"Afghanistan aren't pushovers. They've a better bowling attack than the likes of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh," Gambhir further said.
"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," he added.
