Rohit Sharma-led Indian Cricket team crumbled in the ICC Men's World Cup 2023 Final against Australia on 19 November and since then former cricketers have commented on India's performances.
For the Indian team, which registered an incredible run of 10 straight wins - nine in the league stage and one in the semis, it has been one of the most successful journeys in World Cup tournaments so far.
Though most of the former cricketers are applauding the Indian side for their performances, ex-Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi while expressing his opinion cited 'overconfidence' for India's defeat and since then his razor-sharp remark went viral on social media.
In an attempt to explain India's batting performance, Afridi while he was live on TV on a Pakistan channel, Samaa TV, during India's innings, said, "Jab aap continue game jeete ja rahe ho toh overconfidence bhi zyada ho jati hai. toh woh cheez aapko marwah deti hai (When you have won all the games continuously, the 'overconfidence' is too much. So, this could lead to their downfall)."
India posted 240 runs in 50 overs, as they kept losing wickets in quick momentum. India's fourth-wicket stand through Virat Kohli and KL Rahul of 67 runs in 18.3 overs did help, but not much.
Chasing 241, Australia also lost 3 wickets, but the valiant partnership between Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne of 192 runs made Australia World Cup winners for the sixth time.
Upset with the Indian crowd not applauding the efforts of Head, who scored 137 runs, he said, as HT quoted, "I think we all have experienced this at some point in our career. Whenever we hit a boundary score a century or take a wicket, there is never any response from the (Indian) crowd. Yesterday when Travis Head scored a century, then the crowd was silent. Why? A sports-loving nation always appreciates every athlete and their efforts, but not getting that from the Indian crowd, which is a so-called-educated crowd was surprising. It was such a massive hundred, at least a few could have stood up to applaud. And the way the team's body language kept dropping, the crowd had the same thing going.”
