Former South African captain Faf du Plessis believes Indian players are still hurting from their defeat in the 2023 World Cup final, comparing it to breaking up with a lover.
India easily defeated New Zealand in the semi-final after controlling and winning all nine of their games during the group rounds. But in the top match, they lost to Australia, the current six-time World Champions, and finished second.
The Men in Blue were in danger at 47/3 after scoring a below-par 240. However, a 192-run combination between Travis Head and Marnus Labuschangne put an end to the result. To the despair of the Indian players and supporters, Australia triumphed by six wickets with seven overs to spare.
In an interview with NDTV, Du Plessis said that recovering a bitter setback in a World Cup, such to what his South African team suffered in 2015, is a difficult.
“That is a big challenge,” Faf du Plessis said. “I remember going through a similar experience as a cricketer when we went through the highs and lows of the 2015 World Cup. The heartache that you have to deal with takes a bit of time and it is a bit like breaking up with a girlfriend. You cannot just get over it straight away.”
Faf du Plessis
Du Plessis believes that Team India’s performance up until the final will only make recovery more difficult.
“India were so amazing in the way they played in this World Cup,” the former Proteas skipper added. “They were unbelievable the way they went about their business. They will be feeling in a similar way and they will be heartbroken. That was their World Cup to win.
“That will take a bit of time and time heals everything. Your first series back feels like you are in the middle of nowhere. Obviously there are so quality players there and some experience players who I am sure will help manage the young guys well.”
Faf du Plessis
India deserves credit for winning a T20I series 4-1 at home against Australia, four days after the World Cup final. The hosts showed their muscles and demonstrated their flawless bench strength with bat and ball although both sides had a number of important players resting.
“I believe that I can return to international cricket as well” – Faf du Plessis
Faf du Plessis sent everyone into a frenzy recently by hinting at his likely return to South Africa’s T20I team. Expect to see him in next year’s World Cup – hosted by West Indies and U.S.A!
Du Plessis last appeared for South Africa in a Test series against Pakistan in 2021. His final T20I for South Africa was against England in December 2020.
Du Plessis stated on the sidelines of the ongoing Abu Dhabi T10 tournament:
“I believe that I can return to international cricket as well. We have been speaking about this for the last couple of years. It’s just figuring out the balance of the T20 World Cup next year. It’s certainly something we have spoken about with the new coach.”
Faf du Plessis
In 2015, Du Plessis became the initial South African cricketer to hit a hundred runs in each of the three formats. Throughout a bright international career that included 262 matches, this past leader achieved over 11,000 runs, boasting 23 hundred-run games.
