Former Pakistan captain Misbah Ul Haq has revealed the main reason behind the Indian team’s inability to win any ICC title. India has not won any ICC title since the 2013 Champions Trophy under MS Dhoni.
They missed out on World Test Championship triumphs on two occasions in three years. In the last edition of the T20 World Cup, Men in Blue faced a defeat at the hands of England in the semifinal to end their campaign.
At the latest, India lost to Australia in the final of the ICC World Cup 2023, at home.
Misbah Ul Haq highlighted that India fell behind in finishing the tournament on high despite starting the event well.
"Playing so much cricket gives them exposure and boosts their confidence. To break this, opposing teams need to make a lot of effort, which is a difficult task. Look at Australia, for instance. They overcome most of these hurdles with their strong mental attitude. As big matches and pressure situations arise, they manage to stay composed.
In contrast, teams like Pakistan, India, and other Asian teams face immense pressure from their huge populations and high expectations. This pressure can affect performance significantly. It's something India has struggled with in the last few mega-events, where they haven't been able to finish strong," Misbah said on Star Sports.
The veteran player further added that India needs to find solutions to cope with pressure in ICC knockout matches.
"For Australia, this isn't as big of an issue, but for Pakistan and India, playing under such intense pressure is a major challenge. It's interesting to see how these teams will manage it in the future. India, especially, will need to find ways to overcome this mounting pressure if they want to succeed in upcoming events," he added.
Former Pakistan batter credited India's current pace attack led by Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Mohammed Shami while also praising the quality of Indian cricket.
"It's a different Indian team now, a skillful team with a very powerful bowling lineup. The batting has always been strong, but the quality of their fast bowling has really elevated their game. With bowlers like Bumrah, Shami, Siraj, and the all-around abilities of Hardik Pandya, the quality of Indian cricket has increased significantly. Their ability to handle pressure has improved too," Misbah said.
India will have another chance at an ICC trophy when they play in the T20 World Cup 2024 in June. India will take on arch-rivals Pakistan in their second encounter, in New York on June 9 after playing Ireland in the opening game on June 5.
(IANS inputs)
