The Cricket World Cup 2023 looks to be one of the best in the tournament’s history. Just two betting points separate the three favourites for the cup. That includes hosts team India, defending champion England, and five-time champion Australia.
The 10 nations competing in the Cricket World Cup 2023 will play each other once in a round-robin format, using the same rules as the 2019 Cricket World Cup in England.
The group stage is starting from October 5 through November 12. With the top four teams moving to the semi-finals on November 15 and 16. The 2023 Cricket World Cup final will be played on November 19 in Ahmedabad.
The 2019 Cricket World Cup final between England and New Zealand, which England won in a Super Over by the “barest or margins,” will be reenacted in the tournament’s first game.
Can India repeat the heroics of World Cup 2011 at home?
Team India looks to be in great shape before the ICC World Cup in 2023. Big runs are being scored by the batting unit against a potent bowling assault, and wickets are being taken by the bowlers as well. Recent wins in the Asia Cup and series against Australia have given the team much greater optimism.
It has been ten years since Team India last won an ICC competition. India has exited multiple ICC tournament semifinals and as many as four finals since MS Dhoni guided the team to a Champions Trophy victory in 2013.
On October 5, the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 will begin in India. Many analysts believe the Rohit Sharma-led team will be able to end their trophy drought at home.
On his YouTube podcast “The Spirit of Cricket,” former New Zealand cricketer turned pundit Danny Morrison gives his thoughts on India’s chances at the World Cup with sports journalist Jamie Alter.
“While it’s difficult for Team India, they did win the most recent World Cup at home in 2011. Even though it had been a while since a drink, the IPL had been going on for some time. Even those less experienced guys are, if you will, acclimated to them. However, Virat and Rohit love to play in front of large crowds and are aware of the pressure. Although there is pressure to win at home, I believe they must be competitive”.
Sam Curran, England all-rounder, gives his predictions for the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. He labels the hosts India as the favourites to take home the title. The World Cup will be hosted by India for the first time by themselves.
India’s main competitors at Cricket World Cup 2023
Only seven of the 10 teams playing in the Cricket World Cup 2023 have a chance to win the cup. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, or the Netherlands will have a very difficult time making it to the semifinals. Thus for any of the three, winning the tournament will likely mean taking out a big opponent during the group stage.
The four nations with the best chances of preventing Team India from winning the trophy are New Zealand, Pakistan, Australia, and England. All present varying degrees of hazard, with some being more perilous than others.
England and Australia appear to be India’s two huge adversaries. New Zealand would be the outsiders to beat Team India. Meanwhile, Pakistan is a dark horse.
The Top Threat – England
As for England, they are the defending champions, having won the title for the first time in their history in 2019. As Eoin Morgan’s successor, Jos Buttler led England to the T20 World Cup in 2022.
Additionally, he now has Ben Stokes back in the team after the all-rounder changed his mind about retiring and agreed to participate in the trophy defence. Through their combined expertise and big-game mentality, the pair compensate for the loss of Morgan’s leadership.
Australia is fast catching up with England
In ODI cricket, Australia looks to have the majority of areas covered. Strong hitters at the top of the order and Steve Smith’s composure. An explosive late-order hitting, big all-around spin bowlers, and a pace trio that would fit in with any squad in the world are all strengths of theirs. The biggest challenge for them is getting everyone into the starting eleven.
New Zealand – an unlikely contender
New Zealand is the only team that consistently causes problems for Team India at World Cups. They made it to the last two World Cup finals before losing to England by the narrowest of margins in 2019 and to Australia in 2015, respectively. They will be looking to make amends with an experienced side at their helm.
Pakistan – The Wildcard
Pakistan is yet another group of players with skill. They might struggle with the bat because they rely too heavily on Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan’s abilities. However, they have a bowling department that is nearly on par with the favourites in all areas.
