Sunil Chhetri also lauded the Indian cricket team's dominating show in the tournament.
Sunil Chhetri, the captain of the Indian football team, shared his thoughts on Team India’s heartbreaking loss to Australia in the recent ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final in Ahmedabad.
The star footballer said that it will take weeks and months for the Indian cricket team members and support staff to recover from the defeat in the World Cup 2023 final, which shattered their dreams of winning the coveted trophy for the third time.
It's been nearly a week since the Men in Blue suffered a heart-wrenching defeat in the 2023 World Cup final. In the final showdown at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on November 23, Australia shattered India’s dream of lifting the trophy by thrashing the hosts by six wickets.
Despite an impeccable performance throughout the tournament, with 10 consecutive wins, the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team was convincingly beaten in the final by the Australian team.
Sunil Chhetri was quoted as saying by RevSportz: “It is perhaps not fair for me to do so as I am actually on the other side. As a player, I understand what the players go through. But still, let me say this. All of us felt the pain and the disappointment, but no one could feel it more than the eleven men who played in the final.”
He further noted, “I can tell you this the pain they must have felt and continue to feel is very different. For weeks and months, they will feel the pain. So, when you say things in frustration on social media and post a tweet, just for a second pause and think.”
The Indian skipper also urged the fans to think before criticising the India team for the World Cup final loss. He noted, “They played extraordinary cricket for 10 games, and as a sportsman, I can tell you things can go wrong in the 11th game. Such things happen in sports. In fact, that’s why it’s a sport.”
Chhetri signed off by saying, “It doesn’t always go as per script. But effort, preparation, commitment- whatever you ask for, these men had given it their all. Maybe you can think about it once before writing.”
(With RevSportz Inputs)