India is gearing up for their last group stage encounter in the 2023 World Cup, facing a determined Netherlands team. The Netherlands have had an impressive run in the tournament, notching victories against South Africa and Bangladesh. The match is scheduled at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where the Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, is eyeing their ninth consecutive win in the tournament.
India stands out as the only team in the World Cup yet to face defeat and is on the verge of surpassing their previous best winning streak in the competition's history. Matching Sourav Ganguly's 2003 team's eight-match streak, a ninth victory would secure a historic milestone for the team.
Key players like Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli, and captain Rohit Sharma have been constants in the tournament for India. As they approach the semi-final against New Zealand at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, speculation arises about whether these senior players might rest in preparation.
India's head coach, Rahul Dravid, addressed these queries in a pre-match press conference. He indicated that following a six-day rest period before this match, it's improbable that the team's lineup will change during this crucial phase of the tournament.
"We have had six days off since the last game. We are pretty well rested. The guys are in good shape. We have six days off and just one game before the semi-final, boys are rested, so... that is all I will say," Dravid said in the pre-match press conference.
"We are at the pointy end of the tournament now. Right now it is about focusing on the guys who you think will be in the playing XI. That is the best possible place mentally and physically ahead of the semi-final and hopefully the final if we earn it," he added.
Virat Kohli, in particular, is under the spotlight for his exceptional form. Having already scored two centuries and accumulated 543 runs, another hundred in the upcoming match would make Kohli the first batter to achieve 50 centuries in ODI cricket. Additionally, he is on the cusp of surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record for the most runs in a single ODI World Cup edition, with Tendulkar's record currently standing at 673 runs.
This match presents not only an opportunity for India to create history with their winning streak but also for individual players like Kohli to achieve personal milestones, adding to the excitement and anticipation surrounding the game.
India Predicted Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj
Netherlands Predicted Playing XI: Wesley Barresi, Max O'Dowd, Colin Ackermann, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Scott Edwards (c & wk), Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merve, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren
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