'Overrated team in Tests and T20Is' - Krishnamachari Srikkanth's massive remark on India

Having had a forgettable time on the cricket pitch in 2023, team India will look to have a fresh start in the new year as they take on South Africa in the second Test on Wednesday, January 03 at Newlands, Cape Town. The Rohit Sharma-led side faced a crushing defeat in the opening game losing the match by an innings and 32 runs in Centurion and are now in search of a win to tie the series.

Notably, India are the number-one ranked Test team with 118 ratings to their name. However, they’ve failed to justify that having lost consecutive World Test Championship finals. Former India cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth also isn’t too pleased with India’s recent Test performances and called them an ‘overrated team’. The 64-year-old recalled Virat Kohli’s captaincy tenure where India tasted massive success overseas.

Also Read: 'I believe Ashwin is better than Shardul Thakur' - Krishnamachari Srikkanth pushes for Ashwin over Thakur in second Test against South Africa

"Test cricket, we are overrated. I think it was a phase of 2-3 years where we were outstanding when Virat Kohli was the captain of the team. We dominated in England, we fought hard in South Africa, we won in Australia. We have to forget the ICC rankings. We are always 1-2, 1-2. It's a combination of having overrated cricketers and people who have not performed up to their potential. Or there are players who do not have enough chances, like Kuldeep (Yadav),” said Srikkanth on his Youtube Channel.

Srikkanth further echoed the same thoughts for the Indian T20I side as well, however, praised the ODI team calling them a ‘gun side’.

"In T20 cricket India are highly overrated. ODI cricket, we are a fantastic team. What happens in ODIs, in the semi-finals, finals, it's just a one-off match. It's a luck factor, a lot depends on luck in these matches. I read Rohit Sharma's statement, for a cricketer; the 50-over World Cup is a huge achievement. We are sometimes underperforming in the knockout matches, in the semifinals and the final. But we are a gun side in ODIs. Regardless of where we play, be it India, Australia or South Africa, we are a gun side," Srikkanth added.

India will be desperate to end their knockout jinx during T20 WC 2024

Notably, India haven’t won a major ICC trophy since 2014 even after qualifying for the knockout stages nine times out of the last ten tournaments. In 2023, they lost their second consecutive WTC final against Australia having earlier lost against New Zealand in 2021. Furthermore, the Men in Blue also failed to win the ODI World Cup 2023 on home soil losing against Australia by six wickets.

Also Read: 'This is my World Cup' - Dean Elgar draws battle lines ahead of final Test versus India

As far as T20Is are concerned, India haven’t won a single World Cup in the shortest format as well since 2008 despite having the world’s richest league i.e IPL (Indian Premier League). Hence, they will be desperate to end their knockout jinx in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and USA.