Former India opener Sunil Gavaskar says that the Indian team will definitely be the ‘favourites’ for the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 as the tournament will be played on Indian shores but he also served up a major warning to the Men in Blue.
Gavaskar stated that given the fact that the Indian players will be well aware of the conditions of the pitches, they will have an advantage over all other opposition teams but he insisted that other teams such as five-time World Cup winners Australia, number 1 ranked ODI side Pakistan and defending champions England cannot be taken lightly.
Having last won the ODI World Cup in 2011, the Men in Blue haven’t won an ICC trophy since 2013, the last major ICC they won was the Champions Trophy. Since the World Cup returning to India after a gap of more than a decade expectations will be running high.
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In the past years, India came close to winning an ICC crown, reaching the semifinals of the ODI World Cup in 2015 and 2019, before losing in the semifinals of the T20 World Cup last year. The Indian team also reached the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) in 2021 and in 2023, but they lost on both occasions.
Gavaskar gave his opinion on the ‘favourites’ tag saying that the game of cricket can change very quickly, particularly in the ODI format, therefore Rohit Sharma and Co, will have to be on their toes throughout the World Cup which will kick off on October 5, and go on until November 19.
“At home, it’s always an advantage. The crowd support, the knowledge of how the pitch is going to be… so yes, they definitely are the favourites. But there are 2-3 other teams equally good. So, it’s difficult to say if they are going to win because cricket is a game which can change in a matter of overs, particularly in fifty-over format,” Gavaskar told India Today.
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“England is a good team, Australia are good, Pakistan is good as well, so these are the side which are pretty much in contention. But don’t forget that New Zealand are always under the radar,” added the cricketer-turned-commentator.
The Men in Blue are currently occupied with the Asia Cup assignment in Sri Lanka and they will begin their World Cup campaign on October 8 against Australia at Chennai’s M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.
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