By virtue of being the inaugural winners of the T20 WC, India had become the first team to win both the Cricket World Cup and the T20 World Cup in 2007. With the Men in Blue ending a 28-year drought and triumphing on home soil, a lot of members of the Indian side accomplished the rare feat of winning both events. Infact, Eoin Morgan is the only non-Indian male player to have medals of both events in his cabinet.
With both events gaining province in recent years, the question is bound to arise on which event is more valuable. Gautam Gambhir, a player who tasted glory in both formats has given his opinion to the question. The former Indian opener feels that the 50-over World Cup is more rewarding due to the 4-year-gap between the two editions.
In a column for Times of India, Gambhir wrote, “Born in 1981 and seeing cricket through the 90s and later, I find the win in the 50-over World Cup more rewarding as compared to T20s. There is a novelty attached to the 50-over format. It is staged every four years whereas the T20 World Cup comes around in almost no time. We have one now and another next year in Australia. Yes, the schedules have gone haywire due to Covid, but I am not sure if the fans can really recall the outcome of the previous T20 World Cup with the same accuracy as its 50-over counterpart.”
He added, “If anything, the authorities can deliberate on the idea of pushing the T20 World Cup every three years. If I become a champion today I would want to hold on to that position for at least some time.”
Not only was Gambhir a part of a team that won both events, but he also played a critical role in both triumphs. Infact, he was India’s highest scorer in both the 2007 T20 World Cup final and the 2011 Cricket World final.
In 2007, he scored a vital 75 against Pakistan to help the Men in Blue put a respectable total on the board. Meanwhile, in the 2011 final against Sri Lanka in Mumbai, the left-hander scored a vital knock of 97 as India to put India on the course of victory in the chase after losing the early wickets of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar.
