"One player can't win you tournaments" - Praveen Kumar on India's 2011 World Cup win
Former pacer Praveen Kumar echoed the same sentiments as Gautam Gambhir while speaking about the MS Dhoni-led Indian side's historic 2011 World Cup victory.
Gambhir, on several occasions, has emphasized that Dhoni's winning six in the final doesn't deserve all the credit for the Men in Blue's triumph. Kumar also suggested that a player cannot single-handedly help a team win major tournaments.
The 37-year-old opined that the Men in Blue finished as champions only because several players contributed significantly at different stages. Speaking on sports journalist Shubhankar Mishra's YouTube channel, Kumar said:
"This is not wrestling or any other individual sport. One man cannot win you a match. Yuvraj Singh took 15 wickets and scored runs. Zaheer Khan took 21 wickets. Gautam Gambhir scored runs in the 2007 T20 World Cup and in 2011. MS Dhoni scored runs in the 2011 final. A team wins only when at least three of its batters are in form and at least two bowlers are picking wickets. Be it a Test, ODI, or T20I. One player can't win you tournaments."
It is worth mentioning that Praveen Kumar was ruled out of the 2011 World Cup due to an elbow injury and was replaced by Sreesanth in the squad.
"This is a wrong tendency" - Praveen Kumar agrees with Gautam Gambhir's comments on India's hero-worship culture
Gautam Gambhir has, in the recent past, urged Indian fans to come out of the hero-worship culture. He said instead of idolizing individuals, the focus should be on celebrating Team India.
Praveen Kumar also has a similar take on the matter. He pointed out how hero-worshipping has been there in Indian cricket for several years now. He remarked:
"The hero culture has always been there in Indian cricket. I think it's been there since 1980s. This is a wrong tendency. Cricketers at times become bigger than cricket. The one who has more brand support gets more limelight."
During his playing days, Kumar was considered one of the finest exponents of swing bowling. He featured in 68 ODIs, 10 T20Is, and six Tests for India, and finished with 112 international wickets.