Questions are being raised about the health of Indian cricket following the team’s embarrassing exit from the T20 World Championship. A degree of introspection is inevitable given that India, which started out as hot favourites, failed to reach even the knockout stage of the tournament. But in a country that is over-emotionally invested in cricket, one that is too quick to unreservedly extol a victory and roundly condemn a defeat, there is a case for examining what happened dispassionately. Yes, there are lessons to be learnt from the defeat. No, there is no case for damning the team as an over-rated set of swaggerers.

India crashed out of the T20 tournament because it lost to two very fine teams – an inspired and ominously talented Pakistan and a quietly determined and professional New Zealand. Yes, it did not put up a good performance against either, but it must be remembered that T20 is a format that is heavily dependent on the day. Against Pakistan, one brilliant performance – that of Shaheen Afridi – was enough to set India back for the match. In this tournament, the vagaries of the game were enhanced by another unpredictable element – the toss. In a tournament where teams batting second have dominated, India was sent in to bat first in both the matches it lost.

While the toss cannot be proffered as an excuse for defeat, the fact that the tournament came so quickly on the heels of the IPL, posed its set of issues. The presence of bubble fatigue, which pacer Jasprit Bumrah alluded to, could have been real for a team that has been away from home for six months. Also, it would appear, going by the performances in the IPL, the best side, based on current form, was not selected. A number of those in the playing eleven performed either poorly or at best in a middling fashion in the IPL.

It is tempting to blame the IPL for India’s loss. Yes, it was a bad idea to have had it so close to a world cup tournament. At the same time, it is important to remember that – whatever you may think of this lurid money-spinning carnival – the IPL has thrown up people who have gone on to play for India, sometimes even in all formats of the game. The selection for the T20 games against New Zealand, which start next week, is reflective of this. A number of those who shone in the IPL have been accommodated by resting some players and dropping one (Hardik Pandya).

As New Zealand has shown, T20 victories need not always depend on individuality and aggressive flamboyance. They could be fashioned in seemingly understated and cohesive ways. It is up to India to find its style and there is really no problem if it is a mix of the two – something that reflects the dogged orthodoxy of a Ruturaj Gaikwad or resembles the exhilarating unconventionality of a Rishabh Pant. The important thing is to find the right eleven and back them to do the job.