Ravi Shastri has made the bold claim that India will end their ICC events jinx soon during the BCCI awards function on Wednesday, June 23.
India’s journey in ICC events has been a tale of soaring triumphs and heart-wrenching near-misses, often discussed as a jinx due to their frequent close calls.
BCCI Awards 2024 Highlights
The nation has reached the finals of ICC tournaments multiple times, including three Cricket World Cup finals, winning twice in 1983 and 2011 but falling short in 2003 and most recently in 2023.
India hasn’t won an ICC event since their ICC Champions Trophy triumph in 2013 and also lost the two World Test Championship finals contested till now.
Despite a strong performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they entered the final with a 10-match winning streak and had the tournament’s top scorers and wicket-taker, India finished as runners-up. This pattern of reaching the brink of victory only to stumble at the last hurdle has led to a perception of a jinx.
Speaking at the ceremony on Wednesday, where he got the lifetime achievement award, Shastri went on to claim that the jinx could end soon.
The time will come sooner rather than later: Shastri on India’s ICC event jinx
Shastri commented that he was glad to see the current Indian team express themselves on the field and enjoy their moment. The former India coach said he loved the brand of cricket played by the team during the World Cup and it was great to watch and commentate on.
“What I learned in those 30 years, 40 years being part of the game before I went into the, uh, team as a coach was, you got to get some enjoyment when you play the game. It can’t be a desk job from 9 to 6 where you feel the whole burden of the world on your shoulders. You’re playing in the sun, you’re playing sport. Get those buttons open and get out and play and enjoy it. That’s the only way you can express yourself. And I’m glad this team and they’ve been doing it, you know. Unfortunately, they couldn’t win the World Cup, but the cricket and the brand of cricket played like Farook mentioned. It was great to watch. Great to commentate on. The time will come sooner rather than later,” said Shastri.
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