India not the ‘best team’ in World Cup 2023: Gautam Gambhir says, ‘It did not matter whether you finished first…’

In the final at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, India faced defeat at the hands of Australia by six wickets. Despite their impeccable performance throughout the tournament, India stumbled at the final hurdle.

Gambhir expressed his candid opinion during an interview with Sportskeeda, asserting that India’s subpar performance in the final justified their loss in the 2023 World Cup.

“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,” the former Indian cricketer told Sportskeeda.

The 42-year-old cricketer pointed out that India entered the final as favourites due to their unbeaten run. But, Australia, with eight consecutive victories, were equally formidable.

“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,” he added.

Gambhir emphasised that winning league matches is less challenging than succeeding in high-pressure knockout games. He urged everyone to accept the reality that the best team won the World Cup and acknowledged India’s subpar performance in the final.

Australia successfully chased India’s target of 240 runs in 43 overs, with Travis Head delivering a stellar performance, scoring 137 off 120 balls.

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Updated: 22 Nov 2023, 10:51 AM IST