With the 12th edition of World Cup kickstarting from May 30, team India seems like one of the strong favorites in lifting the World Cup. However, in the last 4-5 years, India hasn’t been able to grab its opportunities when it came to lifting up some of the coveted trophies. In 2014, they were defeated by Sri Lanka in the world t20 final. In 2015, they were knocked out by Australia in the world cup semi-final. In 2016, they were defeated by the West Indies in the semi-final of the t20 world cup. And who can forget last year’s champions trophy’s final where they were destroyed by the arch rivals Pakistan for the first time in an ICC event.
Though it seems like India has lost its touch when it comes to the knockouts of the grandest stage, Yet India’s record is staggering in ICC events since 2013 Champions Trophy. In addition to that, they have got a side which is as brutal as the Australian side in the early 2000s. With proper combination of batsman, bowlers and sum gun fielders, India certainly looks like a side to deal with. With the run machine Virat Kohli in the form of his life and Jasprit Bumrah bowling the ball as lethal as a sniper, Team India might take their chances to take the teams head on. Not to forget the man behind the stumps, the mastermind, M.S.Dhoni, who is probably playing his last World Cup and is the key for India when it comes to big stages where the adrenaline starts rising and everyone feels the pressure. He is the glue that keeps this Indian side intact and provides invaluable experience.
With the rise of the two wrist spinners from India and the feats they have achieved recently, the duo of Kulcha are playing their first World Cup. There is no question regarding the pressure they might be facing, but with the master behind the stumps and a well organized Indian faculty, they might just feel confident enough.
The round robin format that the teams are going to experience this world cup is certainly going to test them. Its a format where each team faces every other side once. Its a format where you need to put your mind and body in the best shape. As it is going to be a long world cup, therefore th players need to manage their workload judiciously and avoid any kind of injuries. With the stakes so sigh, the teams might just bring the best out of them.
With England being the real favorites as the Cup is being held at their backyard, India do stand a chance against them having beaten them once in the ODI series last year. Though the middle order woes aren’t over for India, Billions of people do hope for that not to be a reason for their downfall. If things go right along with a tincture of luck by our side, we may just bring this auspicious trophy to our home for the third time. For now lets just keep calm and bleed blue!
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