Sachin Tendulkar, a legendary batsman and the worldwide ambassador for the 2023 ODI World Cup, selected the four semifinalists with the hopes that the Men in Blue would win their third championship. He attended the inaugural game between England and New Zealand on Thursday at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Before the game began, Tendulkar carried the trophy and contributed by providing brief commentary with Ian Bishop and Ian Smith during England’s innings.
Tendulkar was questioned about Team India’s chances in the World Cup, and he responded optimistically:
“I hope so, because our team is playing good cricket, and if the team continues to keep things simple and stick to basics, they have the ammunition. We’ve got strong batting line-up, a very good all-round bowling attack, we have good balance.”
Sachin Tendulkar
The Indian cricket team, popularly known as the Men in Blue, has not won any ICC silverware since 2013. One of their significant victories was in the 2011 World Cup, led by MS Dhoni. This memorable tournament took place in India, with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh co-hosting alongside them.
India’s World Cup journey will kick off with an exciting match against Australia on Sunday at the renowned MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Sachin Tendulkar predicts the four World Cup semifinalists for 2023
Tendulkar selected India, Australia, New Zealand, and England to advance to the World Cup’s knockout rounds in his predictions for the semifinalists.
According to Sachin Tendulkar, Australia and India have balanced squads, which will guarantee their advancement to the following round.
“India without any doubt. We have a very, very good, balanced team. So is the case with Australia, I feel they have a balanced team”
Sachin Tendulkar
He also expressed his views on England and New Zealand, saying:
“The third one I would say would be England. England again are a very strong team, a combination of experience and some new faces. My fourth team would be New Zealand. They have played the finals in 2015 and 2019. If you look at their track record, New Zealand in world championships have always done well and I see them getting to the semis.”
Sachin Tendulkar
In the opening match of the 2023 ODI World Cup, New Zealand defeated England by nine wickets with more than 13 overs remaining to get off to a strong start.