It has been eight long years since Team India won an ICC title. Back in 2013, the Men in Blue lifted the Champions Trophy under the leadership of MS Dhoni by defeating England in a rain-affected final. Since then, the team made it to three World Cup semi-finals but unfortunately, it lost on all three occasions.
A couple of months back, India received a major blow in the T20 World Cup in which they were knocked out early, after losing two consecutive games – to Pakistan and New Zealand. With two more World Cup lined in the coming years, the Indian team would look to boost their chances with a new coach-captain duo and former batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has given a solution for the same.
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In his latest column for Mid-Day, Gavaskar recalled India’s world cup triumphs in the past and highlighted one particular area that Team India needs to sort out if they want to become the champions once again.
“It was a squad of 14 players and one manager and we conquered the cricketing world. There were no field restrictions then, no limitations on the number of bouncers too and the red ball in English conditions which hardly stopped moving even after the shine was gone,” Gavaskar wrote about India’s 1983 World Cup-winning team.
“That team were full of all-rounders and that is the key especially in limited-overs cricket. Even the 2007 and 2011 teams had batsmen who could bowl and bowlers who were no bunnies with the bat. If India can find two all-rounders, then we will have a better chance in the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022 and in the 50 overs Cup at home in India in 2023,” he added.
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At present, Team India doesn’t have too many all-rounders to look up to. Once it heavily relied on the services of Hardik Pandya but the Baroda cricketer is out of action with a severe back injury and rehabilitating at the National Cricket Academy. While Shardul Thakur is getting there, youngster Venkatesh Iyer also showed his capability at the highest level.
With Rahul Dravid on board as the head coach, its largely believed that India might solve the riddle pretty soon.
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