India’s 2011 World Cup winner R Ashwin has termed the Men in Blue side as one of the favorites to win the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023 to be played in India from October 5- November 19.
The 2023 ODI World Cup schedule was released earlier this week, with hosts India facing off against Australia in their first game on October 8 in Chennai. On October 15, the team faces Pakistan in a titanic match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the world’s largest cricket ground.
The last time India won an ICC trophy was ten years ago in 2013 when MS Dhoni-led side lifted the Champions Trophy in England. Ashwin was part of that side as well and believes that the side has a “great chance” to win the title this year.
However, he still termed India start as a “favorites” in the home World Cup.
“In fact, we went into the 2019 World Cup as strong favorites. But all the teams have had equal chances during every ICC event. If you ask me, any cricket match starts 50:50. But India does start as favorites ahead of this 2023 World Cup,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
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"Of course, the whole social media buzz will be about whether India will be able to get an ICC trophy. We have been following this theme for so many years now of asking, "Can India end the ICC Trophy drought?" If you ask me, this is ridiculous, guys. India is a strong team. Except for a few factors, India has a great chance this time around,” he added.
Ashwin, considered to be one of the shrewdest minds in the game, stated that day/night matches should start at “11:30 AM or 12 PM” to negate the dew factor.
"But one thing that I wished for when it comes to the timing of the tournament didn't materialize. I wanted all the games to start at 11.30 AM or 12 PM to completely negate the dew factor. See, this World Cup will take place in October.
Will there be a chance of dew during this time? Usually, the World Cup won't take place during this period. Even in 2011, it took place just before the summer. It started in Feb and ended in the first week of April and later, we had the IPL that year,” stated the off-spinner.
