Following India’s unbeaten run ending in the World Cup 2023 final, David Warner countered Mohammad Kaif’s ‘best team on paper’ assertion, highlighting the significance of delivering during crucial moments.
Star batsman David Warner echoed Gautam Gambhir’s sentiments on Mohammad Kaif’s remarks regarding India’s loss in the World Cup final, emphasizing the significance of performing under immense pressure on the grandest stage. Despite India’s impeccable run, remaining unbeaten throughout the league stages, and clinching a convincing semi-final victory against New Zealand, their dominance faltered in the final showdown against Australia.
The match witnessed India succumbing to pressure, posting a modest 240 after being put to bat by Pat Cummins. Cummins, along with Australia’s impeccable fielding, disrupted India’s rhythm, dismissing key batters like Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer.
Kaif, a member of India’s 2003 World Cup squad, expressed his skepticism about the final’s outcome, refusing to acknowledge that the truly best team emerged victorious in the World Cup. He insisted that India was, in his opinion, the most superior team based on their credentials on paper.
"𝘎𝘢𝘳𝘷 𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘪. 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘢𝘮 𝘬𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘯 𝘙𝘰𝘩𝘪𝘵 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘢 𝘢𝘶𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘪 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘬𝘰!"
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) November 19, 2023
.@MohammadKaif lauds this strong, brave, dominating, sensational #TeamIndia side & believes they were the best team at the #CWC23! pic.twitter.com/iqB1fqKQO9
Warner, in response to Kaif’s remark, emphasized the importance of performance in crucial moments, particularly in finals. He highlighted that despite what is stated on paper, what truly matters is delivering on the field during crucial matches.
“I like MK, issue is it does not matter what’s on paper. At the end of the day you need to perform when it matters. That’s why they call it a final. That’s the day that counts and it can go either way, that’s sports. 2027 here we come,” he wrote.
I like MK, issue is it does not matter what’s on paper. At the end of the day you need to perform when it matters. That’s why they call it a final. That’s the day that counts and it can go either way, that’s sports. 2027 here we come 👍 https://t.co/DBDOCagG2r
— David Warner (@davidwarner31) November 22, 2023
Earlier, Gambhir had firmly asserted that the team winning the final is undeniably the best in the World Cup, dismissing claims suggesting otherwise as untrue and bizarre. He underlined that such statements aimed to evade the truth.
Last Updated on November 22, 2023
Senior Sports Copywriter