India’s Failure to Win ICC Trophies: A Dissection of the Reasons

Introduction

Former England captain Nasser Hussain and former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull minced no words in dissecting the reasons for India’s failure to win an ICC trophy for more than a decade now. Despite having one of the best teams on paper, India have had to return empty-handed from as many as six ICC events in white-ball cricket since their last triumph in the Champions Trophy way back in 2013 under MS Dhoni. In between, India have been the No.1-ranked ODI and T20I team on more than one occasion. They also have a stellar win percentage when it comes to bilateral cricket but the same has not been replicated in ICC events.

India’s Performances in White-Ball ICC Events

• Out of the six white-ball ICC tournaments since 2013, India have been in the finals two times.
• India have made it to the semi-finals in every event except the T20 World Cup in 2021.
• It is the high-pressure knockout matches that have spelt India’s doom.

Analysis of India’s Performance in Big Matches

Former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull believes that India has not been playing fearless cricket in the big matches. He expressed concerns over the statistics-driven mindset of Indian cricketers. According to Doull, India’s focus on personal stats rather than the outcome of the match has been a factor that has let them down in the last few World Cups.

The fear of being criticised and worried about their place in the team can be one of the reasons why the big names of Indian cricket fail to express themselves in the ICC events, as per Doull.

‘Play Fearless Cricket in Knockout Games’: Hussain’s Perspective

Nasser Hussain emphasizes the need for India to play fearless cricket in knockout games. He believes that India should go above par and not settle for a mediocre score in these crucial matches.

Strong Squad for the ODI World Cup

Hussain, however, acknowledges that India has one of the strongest squads heading into the ODI World Cup at home. With the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, and Jasprit Bumrah, he believes that India has the potential to perform exceptionally well in the tournament.