The International Cricket Council (ICC), according to Virender Sehwag, would support Team India at the future World Cup 2023 by constructing pitches in their favor.
According to the former India opener, the ICC would like India to advance in the competition since it would bring in money for the board. Sehwag predicted that surfaces will be available for Rohit Sharma and company that would give them an advantage in the knockout games.
“The ICC will also help India. The wickets will be prepared by Indian groundsmen. When India plays the semi-final or the final, the pitch will be prepared according to India. So, I feel we have a very good chance to win the World Cup. The ICC knows that if India stay till the end, they will benefit immensely in terms of viewership and sponsorships.”
Virender Sehwag
Sehwag also discussed his predictions for India’s performance in the upcoming showpiece event. He believes that Virat Kohli, a highly experienced player, will be India’s top performer with the bat. Sehwag emphasized that Kohli would be motivated to make a significant contribution, especially considering that this could potentially be his last ODI World Cup.
“Virat Kohli is hungry to score runs. I don’t see that same hunger in any other batter. He would be thinking that Rohit Sharma hit five centuries in the last World Cup, so this time it could be his World Cup. He is a big-match player. If he isn’t there for the next World Cup, he would surely want to make this one memorable for his fans.”
Virender Sehwag
Notably, in India’s 15-member squad, only two players, namely Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin, were part of the victorious 2011 World Cup team. Despite being 34 years old, Kohli maintains exceptional fitness. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him participate in the 2027 ODI World Cup edition.
Virender Sehwag: Kuldeep Yadav will be hard to read for many batters
In the same video, Virender Sehwag discussed how India’s left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav has been in outstanding form leading up to the 2023 World Cup.
He expected that many hitters would have trouble against the shrewd spinner, backing Kuldeep to keep up his good run. Added him:
“In the kind of form that Kuldeep Yadav is in, I think a lot of batters won’t be able to pick him, and he will pick a lot of wickets. There will be spin-friendly wickets in India. Looking at the spinners from other teams, I don’t think there is anyone who can make the same kind of impact.”
Virender Sehwag
Kuldeep Yadav, with 33 wickets from 16 innings, has emerged as the leading wicket-taker for India in ODIs this year. His exceptional performance positions him as a vital asset for the Rohit Sharma-led side, particularly on spin-friendly tracks anticipated in the forthcoming ICC event.