The speculation among Indian fans centers around whether Virat Kohli and the other star players would be given a break for the upcoming match against the Netherlands with the Semi-final ticket confirmed.
Scheduled for Sunday at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium, this match against the Netherlands marks India’s final encounter in the league phase of the World Cup 2023. Having dominated the tournament so far with a flawless record of 8 wins in 8 games, India has secured the top spot on the points table and is set to face New Zealand in Mumbai in the semi-final next week.
Given their confirmed spot in the semi-final, the question arises: Will India opt to rotate players and rest key figures, including the likes of Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma? Head coach Rahul Dravid has hinted at maintaining the current playing XI, emphasizing that the team has enjoyed a six-day break since their last match against South Africa on Sunday.
Dravid stressed, “Honestly, we’ve had six days off from the last game. So, we’re pretty well rested. We’ve got one game before the semi-final, and the guys are in good shape.”
India has stuck to the same playing XI in the last four matches, focusing on preparing the chosen players both mentally and physically for the upcoming challenges. Virat Kohli, the leading run-scorer for India in the tournament, stands as the third-highest overall with 543 runs, holding the potential to surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 673 runs from the 2003 World Cup with at least two more games to go.
