"Absolutely 50-50" - Gautam Gambhir on the India-New Zealand clash at the T20 World Cup
Gautam Gambhir believes the India-New Zealand clash at the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021 is an evenly-matched contest.
India squad for T20 World Cup will play New Zealand in their second match of the T20 World Cup, scheduled to be played on October 31 in Dubai. The Virat Kohli-led side will go into the match after opening their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan.
During a discussion on the Star Sports show Game Plan, Gautam Gambhir pointed out that the success the Kiwis have enjoyed in previous ICC tournaments against India is immaterial. He said:
"Absolutely 50-50. When you go to such a big tournament, the records are only for the media and the fans. The records do not matter for the players at all and they do not think about them as well."
The former Indian opener added that an individual player might be concerned about his record against an opposition cricketer, but teams are not bothered about such stats. Gautam Gambhir elaborated:
"Yes, you can think about your individual record. If a player is struggling against a particular bowler, that can be on his mind. But Pakistan having never won against India and India having never won against New Zealand, that never matters."
India have not defeated New Zealand in an ICC event since the 2003 ODI World Cup. The Kiwis were also the only team they lost to during their title-winning run at the 2007 T20 World Cup.
"India can definitely defeat New Zealand" - Gautam Gambhir
Can New Zealand became the T20 World Cup champion 2021?, you can check here that they are yet to win their first title.
Gautam Gambhir believes Team India can certainly put it across the Kane Williamson-led side, considering the all-round depth of their squad. He observed:
"India can definitely defeat New Zealand, you have the firepower. You have Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul - when you have batsmen and bowlers like these, it will not be easy for New Zealand."
On the flip side, Gambhir warned that the Kiwis cannot be taken lightly either. He reasoned:
"We cannot say New Zealand are the underdogs because they are a very very well-balanced side. They have Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson, and they have the firepower in the batting. So, you will have to play good cricket."
Team India's run at the last two ICC events has come to an end at the hands of New Zealand.
They will hope to buck the trend and put it across the ICC World Test champions this time around.