The upcoming ODI World Cup is just a month away from starting. For the first time in history, India will solely host the entire tournament on its own. It will be played at ten different venues in India.
The tournament will start with a match on October 5 between defending champion England and runners-up New Delhi in Ahmedabad. Team India will start their tournament on October 8, when they will face five-time champion Australia in Chennai. This tournament is going to be very tough because every team is looking good for the tournament.
The last three editions have been won by the hosts. So can India win the World Cup and end their ICC title drought of ten years? Being the hosts, many believe that India are the favorite to lift the cup, but there are some other teams as well.
Former South African captain Faf du Plessis feels that it will be difficult for other teams to go past India, but he also reckons that Australia and South Africa also have a great chance.
In a discussion with the ICC, Du Plessis said that India are very difficult to beat in their home conditions; that’s what history also suggests. He said, “It will be hard to get past India in home conditions. But I think South Africa and Australia also have a chance.”
The 39-year-old said that South Africa also has a well-balanced side that can perform in India. Both India and Australia made it to the semi-finals of the last edition in 2019, while South Africa didn’t qualify.
Australia has an excellent record, with five titles out of 12 editions so far. India has won it twice, and the last time they did it under MS Dhoni was in 2011 at home. However, England also has a great white-ball team, and most of their players have played in India in the IPL.
