‘You think your way...’: Ricky Ponting's clear-cut reply on why India always FAIL to win World Cups

Team India kick started its T20 World Cup 2024 campaign with a dominating all round victory over Ireland in their opening Group A fixture. India bowling first restricted Ireland to a total of 97 and chased it down with ease thanks to Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant. 

No one was really surprised with India’s resounding victory but the question mark over Rohit Sharma’s side will still loom large as they always seem to dominate in the group stages and falter in the knockouts of a world cup. 

India last won a World Cup back in 2011 and their last ICC trophy was back in 2013. Their recent failure at the World Cup came in spectacular fashion when they won all their matches in the 2023 ODI World Cup held in India but lost in the finals against Australia.  

This means heading into the T20 World Cup 2024, India hasn’t won an ICC trophy in 11 years. Australia’s legendary captain Ricky Ponting thinks India’s mentality is the reason why India has consistently failed in World Cups. 

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Ricky Ponting explains why India consistently fails in World Cups

Currently, in New York for the T20 World Cup 2024, Ricky Ponting revealed the key aspect behind India’s consistent failures in ICC knockouts. He believes India needs to find a way to clear their mind and get over the pressur.e 

"You've got to try and keep a clear mind where you can focus on the task at hand rather than thinking too far ahead or worrying about any sort of external pressures," said Ponting.

"There's no doubting the talent (in India squad), but we also shouldn't forget that the World Cups are not easy to win. There are all the best players in the world together at one time in different contrasting conditions. So look there's definitely a mindset thing to it. How you deal with pressure, how you cope with pressure, how you think your way through certain situations is the difference between winning and losing a T20 game," said Ponting, who led Australia to ODI World Cup titles in 2003 and 2007 besides winning the trophy as a player in 1999.

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Ponting believes one of India’s weaknesses has been the inability to raise their game in the back half of the tournament. According to him peaking at the latter stages of tournaments is key to winning any World Cup.

"One thing you know about World Cups, you have to have your best players playing well at the right time. Australian teams are playing their best cricket right at the back half of the tournament and peaking again at the right time in a major event," he said.

Six months ago, Australia peaked at the right time to lift the ODI World Cup trophy under Pat India may not have the power-hitters that Australia, England and South Africa possess but Ponting believes they have enough for the conditions in the Caribbean where the knockouts will be held.

India will face Pakistan next in a herculean Group A clash and one that will be important in measuring where India stands in this T20 World Cup. 

(With PTI Inputs)