'Perhaps there is mental blockage': Sunil Gavaskar on India failing to win ICC title for 8 years

Former India batsman Sunil Gavaskar has come in defence of the Indian cricket team after their loss to New Zealand in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. However, the loss in the final of the inaugural WTC was TEam India's sixth loss in the knockouts of ICC events in the last eight years.

After winning the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy under former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Team India hasn't won a single ICC title and has lost in the knockouts of all the six events held since then - thrice in the final and thrice in the semi-finals.

India lost to Sri Lanka in the final of the 2014 World T20, lost to the eventual champions Australia in the semi-final of the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, lost to West Indies in the 2016 ICC T20 World Cup, lost to Pakistan in the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy, lost to New Zealand in the semi-final of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup and now the WTC final.

India's loss triggered various responses and invited criticism regarding their performance in the knockout games and pressure situations, while many fans labelled them as chokers. Gavaskar was recently asked about the same where he defended Team India saying, "Perhaps there is a mental blockage because of which we are not able to win an ICC title.”

Gavaskar further added that India's opponents New Zealand also had an advantage as the conditions were similar to what they get at their home grounds.

Speaking to Sports Tak, Gavaskar said, "Think of the fact that the conditions were like New Zealand and that's what their team took advantage of. That's why they could win the World Test Championship."