2023 will be a huge year for Indian cricket, as India will host the ICC Men’s cricket world cup. The event, which will be solely conducted in India for the first time, will take place between October and November.
This tournament revives memories of India’s triumphant victory in the ICC Champions Trophy back in 2013, led by the captaincy of MS Dhoni. Since that memorable win, the Indian team has suffered from a 10-year ICC trophy drought.
While the Indian cricket team has had good performances, by going to finals and semi-finals in other ICC tournaments, the coveted title has remained very distant. Whether India can overcome their trophy drought in the World Cup 2023 is on everyone’s mind right now.
Why India can win the World Cup?
Despite facing tough competition from strong teams like Australia and England, India’s prospects of winning the World Cup remain high for several compelling reasons:
1. Home Ground Advantage
On the Indian subcontinent, the Indian side has mostly performed well. It is good news for Indian batsmen that the pitches in India can support pacers for only a few overs.
The importance of spinners to turn the ball comes in very much handy in Indian pitches, and India has quality spinners who effectively control the game’s flow during the middle overs.
The winning performance of India during the last World Cup, which was hosted on Indian soil and was led by MS Dhoni, will give motivation for the present team.
2. Depth in Batting
India has a long history of producing highest quality batsman, and this world cup squad is hardly an exception. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are most likely to start as the opening players.
In recent years, Gill has been in a class by himself and has continued to play well on the home ground. His perfect batting approach and self-assurance would help the Indian team in getting off to a successful start in their innings.
Although there may be some doubts about Rohit Sharma’s present performance, it is hopeful that he will find his dominant form in the tournament as seen in previous editions. Another cause for hope for Indian supporters is ViratKohli’s explosive comeback in white-ball cricket.
When it matters most, he always comes through for his team, and the 2023 World Cup will be highly impacted by Kohli’s performance. The health of KL Rahul and ShreyasIyer, who are lower in the order, is still a concern. SuryakumarYadav’s extraordinary abilities could be of great value to India on the world stage.
3. Top-notch Spinners
The Indian bowling strength is slightly less strong than other departments. With the new ball, Mohammed Siraj has performed well, and Mohammed Shami’s expertise benefits the bowling division.
However, death bowling has long been a problem for India. When it comes to bowling, the Indian supporters can have more faith in the spin attack. In the Indian subcontinental conditions, India’s spinners are experts at spinning a web to trap the hitters from the opposition.
The team would be able to limit the opposition to low scores with YuzvendraChahal and KuldeepYadav. Over the years, both players have done a fantastic job for Team India and their IPL franchises.
4. Best All-Rounders
All-round players play an important role in the success of a team. The contributions made by Yuvraj Singh during the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup, which were crucial to the victory, will always be remembered by Indian fans.
RavindraJadeja and Hardik Pandya are considered some of the best all-rounders in the world. Over the past few years, in all three types of games, Jadeja has been a standout player for his team.
One of the Indian players who has recently made the most progress is Pandya. For India’s chances in the 2023 World Cup, he will undoubtedly be the deciding factor.
Areas India Team Need Improvement
Despite having a strong team, there are some areas India needs to work out to lift the 2023 world cup. The crucial aspects in which India needs to workout are:
1. Bench Strengthening vs Senior Player’s Game Time
Youngsters like IshanKishan and Sanju Samson had the opportunity to showcase their skills against the West Indies. But the problem is that they won’t be in the starting lineup for the World Cup.
The justification for this, given by Dravid, was that they wanted to develop the bench by playing the young players. However, the problem with this is that veteran players like Rohit and Kohli will get very little game time before the two upcoming major tournaments.
2. Lack of Defined Roles and Squad Stability
The Indian side that won the 2011 World Cup at home had been playing with the same squad for at least a year, before the world cup. India had a stable team, and the captain and coach had established roles for each player. But this time, one doesn’t know who will be joining and leaving, and it is also difficult to predict who will be in playing 11 consistently.
3. Injury-related Uncertainty
The top middle-order hitters for India, Rahul and ShreyasIyer, are also making progress in their healing from their injuries. Rahul has already begun serious batting practice and wicketkeeping drills.
Rahul and Iyer will be included in the Indian World Cup team if they are healthy. Before the World Cup, Bumrah, who has recovered from injuries, will have the opportunity to play in small series.
Final thoughts
In comparison, India has everything required to do well in an ICC tournament and lift the 2023 ICC Men’s world cup. Even though there is debate about the players’ injuries, the team believes that they will get better before the tournament begins.
Experienced and talented players are included in the Indian team. However, the biggest challenge will be managing the pressure during important matches. This is the one area where Rohit Sharma‘s team really needs to get better if they want to win the trophy in front of their home fans at Narendra Modi Stadium on 19th November.
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