'Kids look great playing against kids. But when they are up against men...': Gavaskar's unforgiving 'Team India' verdict

Sunil Gavaskar didn't mince his words as he spoke in detail about India's loss to West Indies in the five-T20I series.

The Indian team face a devastating T20I series defeat at the hands of West Indies, losing the fifth and final game by 8 wickets in Florida. Nicholas Pooran and Brandon King unleashed a scorching batting exhibition at Lauderhill, propelling West Indies to secure a 3-2 triumph in the five-match showdown. Throughout the course of the series, Team India faced quite a challenge with its batting performances – particularly from the opening combination.

Sunil Gavaskar (L) talks in detail about Team India's defeat in the WI T20Is(AP)

The duo of Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan – that also opened in the ODI series – opened for the side in the first two T20Is. However, they could only add 5 and 16 in the two matches respectively, with Gill being the first departure on both occasions. Ishan was then rested for youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal, but barring the fourth T20I where the duo forged a brilliant 165-run stand, it was a disappointment for the side.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, following the series loss in West Indies talked in detail about the challenging transition many players face as they ascend from dominating at the franchise level to donning the national colors. He noted that the switch from U19 to senior team is also difficult, providing the 'boys vs men' analogy.

"A player could do well at the franchise level, but when it comes to playing for the country, it’s a different ball game of pressures and expectations. It is one step up, which can be too steep for even some of the best performers at the franchise level. How often have we seen this when the Under-19 performers just aren't able to take that one step up from a boys' tournament to a men's competition?" Gavaskar wrote for Sportstar.

"Yes, the kids look great playing against kids, but when they come up against the men, they suddenly find that what looks like a piece of cake at the under-19 level is more like mud at the senior level. That's why so many who looked good at the boys' level have been found wanting at the senior level. It's not just the temperament; even the skill set is way below the standard required at the franchise level. Then, having been bought for crores, some of these youngsters lose the fire in the belly and are happy to cruise along in later years and get their contracts extended, even if it is for a lesser amount."

But even as Gavaskar insisted that transitioning from franchise to international stage often is a a formidable challenge, Tilak Varma stood out as an exception. Varma showcased an exceptional debut series performance, amassing a total of 173 runs across five matches, boasting an impressive average of 57.67. His remarkable feat becomes all the more noteworthy considering it was his inaugural foray onto the international scene in any format.