The upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 will start in 3–4 weeks time in India. All the participating nations are busy in their preparation for the mega event. This tournament will see the top ten teams compete in 48 games, including the final on November 19.
The opening game of the tournament will be a clash between England and New Zealand in Ahmedabad. Team India will play their first game against Australia in Chennai. With the tournament being played on the subcontinent, a couple of Asian teams are favorites to do well.
The defending champion has been playing pretty well, and Australia is another firm favorite for this tournament. Thus, it will be pretty hard to pick a team that can surely lift the World Cup. However, Team India will have a great chance to end their trophy drought and win the championship.
Notably, the last time the World Cup was played in India, in 2011, MS Dhoni led the team to victory. Since then, the host nation has won the title, whether it was Australia in 2015 or England in 2019. Adding to that, India’s record at home is remarkable.
All these things are enough to say that India will be one of the contenders for the World Cup. Former Sri Lankan spin legend Muttaih Muralitharan also reckons the same. In a podcast called “GOAT of Spin” on ANI, Murali picked his semi-finalists for the upcoming tournament. Murali picked India, Australia, England, and Pakistan as the top four.
However, he said that India has the biggest advantage. Murali said, “In this World Cup, the advantage is more to India, and the reason is that it is a very good side. Then they have a home advantage: a billion people, positive waves; wherever you go, you see Indian crowds, and it gives a boost to the players. I think they are the biggest favorite.”
The spin legend also said that to win a big tournament, a team also needs luck on their side, just like England had in 2019, where they won, or else New Zealand would have won it.
