Former India batsman Gautam Gambhir believes it is time the Indian cricket and fans move beyond the 2011 World Cup win. Gambhir had hammered 97 runs in the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to help India in winning the trophy.
But the former left-hander feels the time has come for Indian cricket to win their next World Cup trophy. Gambhir's comments came on the 10th anniversary of India's World Cup triumph on April 2, 2011.
"It doesn't feel like yesterday. Not for me at least. It's been what, 10 years now? I am not a person who looks back too much. Obviously, it's a proud moment but you know what, it's time for Indian cricket to move forward. Probably, now it's time that we win the next World Cup ASAP," Gambhir told news agency PTI.
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The 38-year-old further added that the players did not do anything extraordinary, and just did the job they were picked to do, that was, to win the World Cup.
{{/usCountry}}The 38-year-old further added that the players did not do anything extraordinary, and just did the job they were picked to do, that was, to win the World Cup.
{{/usCountry}}"In 2011, we didn't do anything that we weren't meant to do. When we were picked to play the World Cup, we were supposed to win the World Cup. When we were selected, we didn't just go out there to compete, we went out there to win," Gambhir said.
"There were no such emotions as far as I was concerned. We didn't do anything extraordinary, yes we made the country proud, people were happy, it's time to move on to the next World Cup," he said.
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Gambhir further pointed that if India had won the next two World Cups as well, they would be considered as superpower in cricket.
"Probably, India would have been considered super power in world cricket if we had won the 2015 or the 2019 World Cup. It's 10 years and we haven't won another World Cup. That's why I never go too overboard with things that 'oh this is a special achievement'.
"If I got 97, I was supposed to get those runs. Zaheer Khan's job was to pick wickets. We were supposed to do our jobs. What we did on April 2, we didn't do anyone any favours," he added.
"I simply don't understand, why people just keep going back and get that high of 1983 or 2011. Yes, it's nice to talk about it and it's ok. We won the World Cup, but its always good to look ahead instead of looking back.
"More we look backwards, we would never able to move ahead," Gambhir signed off.