India cannot win the T20 World Cup if they do not beat Australia, says Gautam Gambhir
India will take on Australia in a three-match T20I series starting on Tuesday.
Former India opener Gautam Gambhir believes India can not win the T20 World Cup this year if they cannot beat Australia in the tournament. Australia are the defending champions and the hosts of the upcoming edition of the tournament and will start the tournament as one of the favourites for the title.
India and Australia are set to lock horns with each other in a three-match T20I series at home starting on Tuesday. The series will serve as perfect preparation for both teams ahead of the showpiece event next season. Gambhir wants the Indian team to not take the assignment lightly and get the better of Australia at home.
Talking about the importance of the upcoming series for the Indian team, Gambhir said India will have to beat Australia if they want to win the T20 World Cup this year. The former opener also pointed out how India had defeated Australia in both the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup on their way to lifting the titles.
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"I have said this earlier and I am saying this again. India cannot win the (T20) World Cup if they do not beat Australia," Gambhir said on Star Sports.
"I mean, look at the 2007 T20 World Cup. We defeated them in the semi-finals. In the 2011 ODI World Cup, we thrashed them in the quarter-finals. Australia is one of the most competitive teams out there and you will have to beat them if you want to win any competition," he added.
The upcoming three-match series against the Aussies will be a good test for the Indian team and the Men in Blue will be hopeful of bouncing back after their disappointing campaign in the recently-concluded Asia Cup 2022. India failed to make it to the final of the Asia Cup after back-to-back defeats against Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
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Rohit Sharma & Co. will be without the services of senior pacer Mohammed Shami, who was recalled in the T20I squad but has been ruled out after testing positive for COVID-19. He has been replaced by Umesh Yadav, who will be part of India's pace attack alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel.