After the crushing eight-wicket defeat to New Zealand, former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen on Monday spoke out in support of the under-fire Indian cricket team, saying the players are not robots and their fans need to stand by them.
India have succumbed to pressure and lost two successive matches, against Pakistan and New Zealand, in the ongoing 2021 Men's T20 World Cup.
The team's poor performance has drawn sharp criticism from passionate Indian fans on social media platforms. However, Pietersen appealed to the fans to support the Virat Kohli-led Team India, who are now languishing at number five in Group 2 points table.
"In sport, one wins and one loses. No player takes the field to lose. Representing your country is the biggest honour. Please understand that sportspersons are not robots and they need support all the time," Pietersen tweeted in Hindi.
Pietersen's tweet specifically in Hindi highlights the fact that he wants Indian fans to calm down and show their support to the Indian team at such a crucial juncture of the ongoing tournament.
India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh also asked the fans not to be too harsh on the players and back the team.
"Let's not be harsh on our players. Yes, we know them for better cricket. Sabse jyada players ko hurt hota hai after such results (players get hurt the most after a loss). But well done to @BLACKCAPS NZ for winning the match. They were fantastic in all departments," Harbhajan tweeted.
India have three matches remaining in the tournament and the Men in Blue will have to win all their remaining matches by big margins to ensure their net run rate is improved, and also need favourable results in some other matches in the goup so as to maintain their chances of qualifying.
They will next face Afghanistan in their third match on November 3 in Abu Dhabi in the hope of turning their campaign around in the mega event.
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