5 Reasons Why India Are Now The Favourites to Win World Cup 2023
Rohit Sharma will feel confident about his team going into World Cup 2023 (Source: AP Photos0
The Asia Cup 2023 ended with an amazing performance from the Indian team. Mohammed Siraj, the Sri Lankan top-order, helped the 'Men in Blue' bundle Sri Lanka for just 50 runs. Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill ensured they reached the modest target of 51 runs without losing a single wicket. India won their eighth Asia Cup title with this brilliant display of cricketing skills.
This tournament win has provided a brilliant stage for India for the upcoming marquee event, the World Cup 2023. The clinical display India put in this tournament is bound to change the opinion of many critics. Those who were writing team India off for WC 2023 will now have to take a 180-degree turn and admit that they are one of the favourites for the tournament.
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In this article, let us analyse the Indian team and find out why they are now the favourites to win a World Cup title after 12 long years.
1.The Top-order has gathered momentum
The Indian top order most likely to take the field in World Cup 2023 will comprise Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul. With Sharma, Gill and Kohli not being at their best and KL returning from injury, this top order looked unsettled and fragile before Asia Cup 2023.
But Rohit and Gill gave some brilliant starts to the team in the tournament. They averaged 87.5 as a pair, a figure you can't ignore.
Shubman Gill looked in brilliant touch in Asia Cup 2023 (Source: AP Photos)
Talking about Virat Kohli, he was not strictly out of form before the tournament. But anything short of a 100 seems like too little from Kohli. Much to the amazement of the Indian fans, Virat played an excellent knock against Pakistan and brought up a fantastic hundred. That ensures that walking into the World Cup, the number three spot is sorted for India.
Speaking about KL, returning from injury, he looked in good touch. Along with Kohli, KL also scored a brilliant hundred against Pakistan. He also played an important role against Sri Lanka. When the other batters struggled against spin, Rahul handled spin well, ensuring that India reached a respectable and fighting total.
The performance of these four players has ensured that India will go into the tournament with a solid, in-form top-order.
2. A compact bowling unit
A common saying in cricket is, 'Batters will win you matches, while bowlers will win you tournaments'. And on that note, if we look at the Indian bowling attack's performance in Asia Cup 2023, as an Indian fan, satisfaction is what we will get.
Barring the Nepal match, the Indian attack looked potent and efficient. From pace to spin, all the departments clicked for the 'Men in Blue'. Kuldeep Yadav bowled a couple of match-winning spells and has given the team management the hope that during the World Cup, India can take the edge over their opposition in the middle overs.
Mohammed Siraj decmiated the Sri Lankan batting in the Asia Cup 2023 final (Source: AP Photos)
Regarding the pace department, Jasprit Bumrah was back on the scene and was as accurate as he used to be before his injury. Talking about potency, Mohammed Siraj showed in the final how lethal he can be with the new ball. Also, Hardik Pandya did a great job as the third pacer.
With Bumrah and Siraj in wicket-taking form and Pandya playing the perfect supporting role, the whole bowling unit of India looks pretty compact.
3. Performance under pressure
One of the biggest reasons for India's failure to win a multi-national trophy recently is their failure to hold their nerves in big matches or while under pressure. But in Asia Cup, we have seen that the team has excelled under pressure.
Be it the Pakistan or Sri Lanka match in the Super Four stage, we saw that the Indian team held their nerves and bailed themselves out of crunch situations. Even in the game against Bangladesh, despite the absence of five key players, the team kept their composure and went as close to the target as possible.
While in the Pakistan match, the Indian batters did not let themselves be deterred despite the numerous rain interruptions; against Sri Lanka, the bowling unit kept their composure and saw the team across the finishing line. These performances in the crunch moments will help the team in the big tournament, as the experience will be valuable in the upcoming grand event.
4. Rohit Sharma enjoying leading a well-settled unit
Rohit Sharma looked like an assured and confident captain in the Asia Cup. It seems that the return of the key players has given confidence to the Indian skipper. The same Rohit Sharma, seemingly unconfident and unsure of how to use his players a couple of months ago, looked much more confident and proactive as a leader in the tournament.
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Rohit Sharma is looking assured as a leader of the Indian team (Source: AP Photos)
The absence of players like Bumrah, KL, Jaddu, and Hardik led to confusion in the thought process of the skipper. Now that these players are back, Rohit Sharma is a changed leader, making India a prime contender for the coveted trophy.
5. Middle-order's ability to soak pressure
The Indian middle-order got little exposure throughout the Asia Cup. Barring the first match against Pakistan, the Indian top-order handled most heavy scoring duties. Even though this match was abandoned due to rain, it showed the character of the Indian middle-order.
Hardik Pandya and Ishan Kishan rescued India against Pakistan (Source: AP Photos)
The top-order of India was back in the pavilion by the 15th over for a score of just 66 runs. But Hardik Pandya and Ishan Kishan stitched a partnership of 138 runs, ensuring that India posted a respectable total of 266 runs. The fact that India did not crumble even after losing four wickets quickly, shows that this middle-order can change any match's complexion on any given day. This will be a big positive for India entering the World Cup 2023.
 "Probuddha Bhattacharjee")
