In cricket’s domain, 2023 will be remembered as an outstanding year for Indian cricket, a sentiment shared by cricket icons Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan. The cricketing saga included exhilarating victories, disheartening losses, and moments that deeply connected with fans nationwide.
Sunil Gavaskar, a respected figure in cricket, highlighted the successes of both the men’s and women’s teams, with a special emphasis on the fantastic performance of the Women in Blue, making it a noteworthy year for Indian cricket.
“I think it’s been a fantastic year for both the men’s and the women’s team, particularly the way the women’s team has performed,” Gavaskar said.
“I think it’s been a fantastic year for both the men’s and the women’s team, particularly the way the women’s team has performed,” he shared on the Star Sports show ‘Follow the Blues.’
Following a close T20 World Cup semifinal loss to Australia, the women’s team demonstrated resilience by securing gold at the Asian Games. Gavaskar commended the remarkable consecutive Test victories against cricket giants England and Australia, identifying it as the most thrilling highlight of the year.
“Those two Test wins towards the year-end, one against England and one against Australia, both teams against whom the Indian women’s team have had tough times earlier on.”
”That’s been the most exciting aspect of cricket apart from, of course, what we saw in the World Cup. The 10 straight wins, and, then, just that one bad day, which sadly happened to be the finals of the World Cup. So really some exciting times in 2023,” Gavaskar added.
Indian cricket experienced a standout year: Irfan Pathan
Former fast bowler and acclaimed commentator, Pathan, praised the team’s exceptional win percentage in ODIs, deeming it a historic feat.
Despite the Men in Blue facing setbacks in the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup finals against Australia, Pathan applauded the team’s overall display.
“I think it was an amazing year, the way they won matches. In ODIs, they had the highest win percentage in Indian cricket history. I think it was one of the best years of Indian cricket,” Pathan said.
Recognizing the absence of a World Cup victory, Irfan Pathan took comfort in Virat Kohli’s exceptional performance and the rise of Shubman Gill.
“The World Cup victory again remained slightly away from us but overall there were a lot of positives. We saw Virat Kohli’s form, which we were used to for so many years, and Shubman Gill had an amazing year,” Pathan added.
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