Gambhir dismissed the suggestions that India were peaking at the right time.
As a result of this win, the Men in Blue set up a semifinal clash with England, scheduled for March 5 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
During the post-match presser, Gambhir was asked about the degree to which he relies on data while preparing for a match.
“I don’t believe in data, honestly. I have never seen data. I don’t even know what data is all about. I feel T20s are more about instinct and backing your instinct as well. Whatever knowledge I have about the game and the T20 format, I give it to the captain and try to help him out as much as I can," Gambhir told reporters.
“But ultimately, it is the captain who takes the final call," the former Indian opener added.
India made a few debatable calls against the West Indies. Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya shared the new ball, while Axar Patel was introduced early into the attack.
When asked if India were peaking at the right time, Gambhir dismissed the notion, stressing that the focus has to be on winning every single game in a short tournament like the T20 World Cup.
“Look, I don’t believe in all this peaking at the right time. You’ve got to win every game that you represent your country in. There is nothing like peaking at the right time," Gambhir said.
Coming to the match, West Indies posted a formidable 195/4 in their allotted 20 overs. While Shai Hope (32), Roston Chase (40) and Shimron Hetmyer (27) set the tone with crucial partnerships at the top, Rovman Powell (34*) and Jason Holder (37*) took the Indian bowling attack to the cleaners in the death overs.
During the chase, the defending champions were reduced to 41/2 within the powerplay. It was a 58-run stand between Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav (18) which brought the hosts on track. Then Sanju (97* off 50) went on to stitch partnerships with Tilak Varma (27), Hardik Pandya (17) and Shivam Dube (8*) to take India over the line with four deliveries to spare.