Irfan Pathan Comments On 2007 T20 World Cup Win: Former Indian all-rounder and commentator Irfan Pathan recently discussed India’s triumphant campaign in the 2007 World T20 (now the T20 World Cup), claiming that the narrative of the title-winning team being a young one is a myth.
As per Irfan Pathan Comments On 2007 T20 World Cup Win, The inaugural edition of what is now called the T20 World Cup was played in 2007. India and Pakistan, who both were eliminated in the group stage of the ODI World Cup earlier that year, made it to the final of the tournament, with the Men in Blue picking up the win and becoming the first-ever T20 World Champions.
Following the dismal 2007 ODI World Cup, several senior players in the team refused to participate in the World T20, as the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, and VVS Laxman refused to participate in the tournament.
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Irfan Pathan Comments On 2007 T20 World Cup Win
And so, a team filled with youngsters led by young wicketkeeper MS Dhoni went into the tournament and won it all.
While yes, players like Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, MS Dhoni, and Harbhajan Singh had been playing in the national team for a few years (eight years for Bhajji), the median age of this side was 23.6 years. The oldest person on that list was current BCCI Selection Committee Chairman Ajit Agarkar, who was 29 at the time.
Irfan Pathan Comments On 2007 T20 World Cup Win
With the 2024 T20 World Cup right around the corner, Irfan Pathan, who won Player of the Match in the final of the 2007 tournament, spoke on the importance of experience going into a World Cup.
Speaking to Star Sports, Pathan claimed that it is just a myth that the team that played in the 2007 World T20 was a young and inexperienced one, as several players in that squad had years of experience, saying,
“This is a myth that India won that World Cup with a young team. No, boss, we had experience. About 90% of the squad had proper three to six years of experience. And then we went into the World Cup, and we won the World Cup. Yes, age-wise, we were young but experienced. So when the pressure situation comes, you always bank on experience.”
Irfan then went on to say that youngsters performing well in the IPL should not be automatically promoted to the national team.
“Just because some players are performing well in the IPL doesn’t mean they should automatically be selected. In the IPL, there are always one or two uncapped bowlers who can be easily smacked due to small grounds and flat pitches,”
he said.
Also Read: Irfan Pathan Comments On 2007 T20 World Cup Win
Unlike the 2007 team, the as-of-yet-unannounced team that will go into the 2024 T20 World Cup will have several players in their 30s, with some being in their mid-to-late 30s as well. The likes of captain Rohit Sharma (36), Virat Kohli (35), Jasprit Bumrah (30), Hardik Pandya (30), and Mohammed Siraj (30) will bring tonnes of experience to the squad.
The 2024 T20 World Cup, taking place in the West Indies and the US, will commence on June 2. India will play its first match on June 5 against Ireland. The Men in Blue will then take on arch-rivals Pakistan on June 9. India will then conclude their group stage with matches against the United States on June 12 and Canada on June 15.
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Irfan Pathan Claims 2007 T20 WC Team Was Not Young
Irfan Pathan Comments On 2007 T20 World Cup Win
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