With the ODI World Cup 2023 approaching, the cricketing realm is eagerly awaiting to see if the Indian cricket team can leverage the home advantage and end their prolonged ICC trophy drought. The anticipation is further intensified given that India's last monumental victory in an ICC event dates back to 2013 under MS Dhoni's leadership - the Champions Trophy triumph.
Currently under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, complemented by the strategic acumen of head coach Rahul Dravid, Team India's journey in search of another ICC title has been fraught with challenges. Setbacks have come in the form of a disheartening semifinal defeat against England in the 2022 T20 World Cup and a staggering 209-run loss to the Aussies in the World Test Championship final earlier this year.
As the fervor for the World Cup grows, there's an underlying anxiety surrounding India's performance in high-pressure games, especially with the event unfolding on home turf. The added emphasis on this subject was brought to light by none other than cricketing legend and former BCCI president, Sourav Ganguly.
Reflecting on India's commendable performance in overseas conditions, including their victory against Australia and a drawn Test series against England, Ganguly was quick to point out the subsequent losses against these very teams during ICC tournaments. Addressing the prevalent narrative, Ganguly opined on the team's performance and readiness for the forthcoming World Cup.
Ganguly voiced his thoughts saying, “Is #TeamIndia favourite because the World Cup is held in India or because we’re playing with strength and confidence @virendersehwag? Yes, we won against Aus in Aus, drew series against England but then we lost to them both in big match situations. I think we have a solid team and a big chance, but we do need to get back to our winning ways before the #ICCworldCup23.”
Before setting their sights firmly on the World Cup, Team India has the Asia Cup to navigate. Successfully advancing past the group stage with a notable win against Nepal and a rain-impacted match against Pakistan, the Men in Blue are now gearing up for a much-anticipated Super Four face-off against Pakistan led by Babar Azam. Following this, clashes against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh await, providing ample opportunities for India to hone their strategy and form.
India's schedule for ODI World Cup:
October 8: India v Australia, Chennai, 2 pm
October 11: India v Afghanistan, New Delhi, 2 pm
October 14: India v Pakistan, Ahmedabad, 2 pm
October 19: India v Bangladesh, Pune, 2 pm
October 22: India v New Zealand, Dharamsala, 2 pm
October 29: India v England, Lucknow, 2 pm
November 2: India v Sri Lanka, Mumbai, 2 pm
November 5: India v South Africa, Kolkata, 2 pm
November 11: India v Netherlands, Bengaluru, 2 pm
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