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Team India’s quest for ICC tournament victories has encountered challenges in recent years. Despite their historic win in the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup in 2007 and their triumphant campaign in the Cricket World Cup in 2011, India’s success in ICC competitions has been limited since then. Their last ICC trophy, the Champions Trophy, was secured in 2013, guided by the leadership of MS Dhoni. Subsequently, India has faced difficulty in consistently clinching titles in global tournaments.
Former West Indies all-rounder Daren Sammy, who has himself tasted success in World titles, acknowledged India’s abundant cricketing talent. However, he also didn’t shy away from subtly pointing out the absence of major trophies in India’s collection. Notably, West Indies, under the captaincy of Sammy, managed to capture two T20 World Cups, in 2012 and 2016, showcasing their prowess in the shortest format of the game.
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Sammy applauds young Indian players while playfully addressing India’s ICC trophy drought
West Indies coach Sammy expressed high admiration for India’s emerging batting talent, Yashasvi Jaiswal, who showcased his talent by scoring an impressive 171 on his Test debut against the Windies in Dominica last month.
Speaking about Jaiswal’s exceptional performance, Sammy not only commended the young player’s skills but also credited the robust foundation laid by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the high standards of First-Class cricket in the country. The 39-year-old acknowledged the significant resources that have contributed to the development of remarkable players like Hardik Pandya, Shubman Gill, and Sanju Samson.
Nevertheless, amid the appreciation, Sammy playfully poked fun at India’s lack of ICC tournament victories. While praising the individual talents and the cricketing system in India, the Micoud-born cricketer highlighted the noticeable absence of ICC trophies since 2013, alluding to India’s title drought in major international tournaments.
“When you the see the players they’ve been able to produce, Hardik Pandya, (Yashasvi) Jaiswal all the guys they produced over the years but you must also remember who’s winning the international tournaments,” Sammy said to Vimal Kumar on the latter’s YouTube channel.
“Like I said, Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson who didn’t play, he’s been performing. Hardik Pandya who’s young but he is seasoned in the team. Again, it speaks of the system they have that keeps producing these youngsters. Jaiswal has 1800 runs in First Class cricket in nine matches, nine hundreds and then he comes to Dominica in his debut game and he looks like he belonged at the international level. That comes from the standard of First Class cricket in India that is allowing the youngsters that when they come in to be ready for international cricket,” Sammy concluded.
During the current West Indies tour, India emerged victorious in the Test and ODI series. Nonetheless, they are currently behind by 2-1 in the five-game T20I series. The second-to-last T20I is scheduled to take place in Florida on Saturday (August 12).
