Sourav Ganguly Makes BOLD Remark on Captain Rohit Sharma Ahead of ICC ODI World Cup 2023
New Delhi: India’s former captain Sourav Ganguly addressed the Indian cricket team’s upcoming ODI World Cup 2023 campaign and the home advantage that the Men in Blue possess in the mega tournament. He also made a bold remark on the Indian captain Rohit Sharma and said this will be his first and last ODI World Cup as the Indian skipper.
“The positive thing is in the last few editions of the World Cup the home team has won so there is no such thing that home teams don’t win,” Ganguly told RevSportz when asked about India having home advantage.
“Yes, Virat is playing very well. He has looked very good in the last few months and is batting extremely well and will be India’s go-to man along with Rohit Sharma. Rohit as captain is playing his first and last World Cup. I am speaking about the 50 over World Cup here which will come after 4 years,” the former BCCI President said on the importance of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
“He could play T20 but this is a different format. And he too has a superb record in world cups. 5 hundreds in the last World Cup where he was brilliant. So both of them will have to stand up for India. In fact, all of them will have to stand up if India is to do well in this tournament,” he added.
Rohit leads the batting group, with Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav all named, as well as Ishan Kishan, who provides another keeping option.
Hardik, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Shardul Thakur will be the all-rounders in the team.
After making a successful return from a long injury layoff, Jasprit Bumrah spearheads the bowling group, with Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj are the designated pacers while Kuldeep Yadav is the specialist spinner in the squad.
While the deadline to submit the World Cup squad to the ICC is September 5, teams can make changes until September 28 without needing approval from the ICC.
India will open their World Cup campaign on October 8, when they take on Australia in Chennai.
India’s World Cup squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah