'No side cope with as much pressure as Team India': Sunil Gavaskar

Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar signs a photograph for author Amrit Mathur during the book release of Pitchside at the CCI on Tuesday. Pic/Ashish Raje

Batting icon Sunil Gavaskar stressed on Tuesday that among all teams in international cricket, the Indian side have to cope with most pressure.

And to support the Indian team to play to their potential, the former India skipper urged fans to understand the Indian cricketer's mindset. "I don't think there is any other cricket team in the world which is under as much pressure - the pressure of expectations as the Indian team. Every match that the Indian team play, there are fans, followers not just in India but all over the world, expecting and wanting the Indian team to win," Gavaskar said while releasing ex-Team India manager Amrit Mathur's book - Pitchside at the Cricket Club of India on Tuesday.

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The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team will start their Asia Cup campaign against Pakistan at Pallekele in Sri Lanka on September 2. Later, the Indian team will try to replicate their 2011 World Cup triumph in the ODI World Cup starting at Ahmedabad on October 5.

"We all know in sport that sometimes you win and sometimes you don't, but the pressure is always there. And that is the pressure that the Indian team are currently experiencing. Everybody wants them to win the Asia Cup, wants them to win the World Cup. But we as cricket followers need to show a little bit more understanding," Gavaskar, 74, remarked.