WATCH: Gautam Gambhir Talks About Indian Team’s Lack Of Mental Toughness

Gautam Gambhir did not hold back when talking about the current Indian team. Not everyone points out the flaws in a national team, but he did.

Gautam Gambhir points out the major flaw in the current Indian national team

The veteran player believes that the current Indian team can not handle pressure. The team has performed astoundingly well in league matches. Unfortunately, it fails in knockout games. This has been pointed out several times.

Gautam Gambhir believes that there is a fine line that separates a good player and very very good player. It all boils down to how a cricket player performs in the matches that require him to handle mental pressure. Hence, if a team is performing very well in the league matches but the semi-finals and finals are failing, then it’s about the mental toughness.

“I think probably we have not been able to handle the pressure, probably other teams have been able to handle the pressure that way. If you look at all the semi-finals and finals, it just shows when playing really well in the league stage and you don’t play well in the semi-finals or knockouts, it’s probably your mental toughness as well.”

The former player believes India needs to first become a champion to retain the faith the people have in them

The Indian team is regarded as one of the best ones across the globe. However, Gambhir says that just by pointing out a team has the power to be champions is not enough. The team has to become the champion as well. Knockout games don’t offer the chance to make a mistake. Therefore, if India does not start performing well in the knockout games, then the team will never become the champion everyone believes it can be.

“We can keep talking that we’ve got everything, we have the ability to be the world champions, but till the time you don’t go on the cricket field and prove that you will never be called the world champions. So it’s just your ability in those crunch situations.”

“I’ve always said this, in bilaterals and league stages you have got probably a chance to make the mistake, come to the knockout stages, you don’t have a chance to make a mistake, you make a mistake and you’re going back home.“

India has not won a single ICC tournament since 2013.