Batting great Sunil Gavaskar highlighted the key area Team India should address ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 and Cricket World Cup 2023. 

Having won all the ICC Trophies in limited-overs cricket, Team India is considered heavyweights in the game. However, since the 2013 Champions Trophy win, nothing has gone their way when it comes to major multinational events. 

Since they have reached the final of the T20 World Cup 2014, Champions Trophy 2017, and WTC 2021 while finishing semi-finalists in the T20 World Cup 2016, World Cup 2015 and 2019.

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The loss in the WTC final in June 2021 marked Team India’s fifth straight defeat in the knockout stages of the ICC tournaments. In the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2021, ‘Men in Blue’ were jolted as they failed to reach the knockout stage and were knocked out of the tournament in the group stage. 

Now with major ICC events slated in the next two years, Team India would be looking to change their fortunes and would be eyeing at least one among the T20 World Cup 2022 and Cricket World Cup 2023. 

Sunil Gavaskar, who was part of the 1983 World Cup-winning squad, talked about his team of 14 players and one manager that conquered the cricketing world. 

"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," Sunil Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-Day.

Sunil Gavaskar said that the 1983 World Cup-winning team was full of all-rounders. He while highlighting that having all-rounders in the team is the key in limited-overs cricket pointed out that even the Indian teams that won World Cups in 2007 and 2011 had all-rounders. 

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Gavaskar added that if Team can find two all-rounders then they will have a chance to win the T20 World Cup 2022 and Cricket World Cup 2023. 

"That team was 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 said. 

(Mid Day inputs)