Aakash Chopra feels that having practically their complete batting order in form will aid India’s case in the 2023 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.
Wednesday, November 15 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will see the two teams play their first match in the round of four. South Africa and Australia will square off in the second semi-final in Kolkata’s Eden Gardens one day later. The championship game will take place on Sunday at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel Chopra discussed his thoughts on the India New Zealand clash. He expressed his belief that the batsmens current form will greatly benefit the team. He further explained:
“The Indian batting has been so solid, you need to ward off the effects of an evil eye, whether it is Shubman Gill or Rohit Sharma, then Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul. All five of them are in amazing form. It’s extremely rare that the entire top five has form.”
Aakash Chopra
Former India opener Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer all contributed significantly to the Men in Blue’s last game at the Wankhede Stadium. He noticed:
“The last time they played on this pitch, three players nearly scored nineties. It was Kohli, Gill and Shreyas Iyer. No one scored a century but that doesn’t matter because India still scored 350-plus runs.”
Aakash Chopra
In their league-stage match in Mumbai, Gill (92 off 92), Kohli (88 off 94), and Iyer (82 off 56) helped India set Sri Lanka a huge 358-run goal. The two-time winners then swept out the Lankan Lions for only 55 runs to secure a thumping 302-run victory.
Aakash Chopra Believes 325 Runs Won’t Be Enough in World Cup Semi-Final
Aakash Chopra does not believe the semi-final will be a run-fest. He stated:
“If India bat first, I am saying maximum 300-325. I don’t see 375-400 being scored here. I won’t be surprised if 325 is also not scored because this is a World Cup semi-final.”
Aakash Chopra
However, Chopra noted that if Rohit Sharma is at his ferocious best, the hosts may reach a massive total. He stated:
“If we are bowling, we will stop them between 260 and 280, and I feel they will also stop us at 305 maximum, unless Rohit Sharma absolutely goes berserk, because I give him that allowance. If he fires, he can take the team’s total to 375 as well, or else there are full chances of it being a 305 to 310-run match.”
Aakash Chopra
Rohit Sharma has frequently given India blistering beginnings. In the competition, he has 503 runs in nine innings pitched with a strike rate of 121.49.
