After enduring an extended lean patch, Virat Kohli is back to scoring runs consistently. He has slammed two centuries each in Tests and ODIs this year so far besides a couple of tons in the IPL 2023 season for RCB
With the ODI World Cup slated to be held in India in about 1.5 months, former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop has opined that Kohli's role will be pivotal for India's prospects in the upcoming quadrennial event.
"He is a man for the big stage and has a sense of the occasion as we all know. He was one of the people who stood up for India in Australia and will want to score a lot of runs in India in home conditions. And I hope he will do that because, like I said, he is a master of the occasion and a fantastic player in white ball cricket, especially the 50-over format," Bishop said in 'Backstage With Boria' on RevSportz.
There is a lot of buzz around the high-voltage India versus Pakistan encounter at the World Cup, scheduled for October 14 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Talking about the clash between the arch-rivals, Bishop said: "Fans want to see such contests and the fact that the two teams don't play each other often has built a certain novelty around this encounter. That's what explains the hype around it."
Bishop also stated that the next few months will define Rohit Sharma’s legacy as a leader and captain.
"Rohit Sharma is a great batter. He has always been a great batter in the white ball formats, especially the 50-over format, and now he is doing so in red-ball cricket as well. But as leader, he will know that India with all its resources, cricketing resources and economic resources, will need him to win an ICC trophy for the first time since the Champions Trophy win in England in 2013. In fact, I will say that the next few months will define his legacy as leader. If Rohit Sharma can utilise his resources well and go on to win India the world cup, that's what will define his leadership."
It's been a decade since Team India last won an ICC tournament. After MS Dhoni led the side to a Champions Trophy triumph in 2013, India have lost as many as four ICC event finals and bowed out in the semi-finals on numerous occasions.
Commenting on India’s ICC trophy drought, Bishop said: "When you mention the WTC finals, you need to think if you had the best people available for these occasions. Also, with the WTC final in England in June, was the Indian team the best prepared. When India played New Zealand, they were already in the country and better prepared. New Zealand was playing a Test series in England if you remember. Australia was there in England for longer this time round and was better prepared. If you have the WTC in the UK where you need to better acclimatise, you will need more time to prepare better and give yourselves the best chance."
"When it comes to the white ball format, I think India needs a bit of tweaking. They need more dynamism, more aggressive leadership, also the absence of Jasprit Bumrah for such a long period of time has hurt India a lot. I hope for India Jasprit Bumrah is fit and firing when this sort of a championship comes round again. For any team that has to win a championship like this it has to have depth in fast bowling. At least I think so. Without Bumrah it was an issue for India," he remarked.
Ian Bishop reckons India have a great chance of winning the 2023 World Cup because of their better knowledge of conditions.
"I am saying knowledge of the conditions gives you a significant advantage. I am not guaranteeing anything but I am indeed saying that such knowledge is an advantage. While you still have to do the leg work, knowing the conditions will give India an edge going into the World Cup," he concluded.
(With ANI Inputs)
