"Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya Big Players But...": Harbhajan Singh On India's World Cup Ambitions

20.07.2023 - 08:15 sports.ndtv.com

India will be hosting the much-awaited ICC ODI World Cup 2023 in October this year. With this tournament, the Rohit Sharma-led side will aim to end their decade-long ICC trophy drought.

The event will kick start from October 5 with defending champions England squaring off against New Zealand in Ahmedabad. India will be opening their campaign against Australia on October 8 in Chennai.

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh stated that all the players in India's line-up have to step up as a team, in order to clinch the World Cup title.

Harbhajan stated that only one or two players from Team India have performed during high-pressure situations. He advised that all the players should have the ability to rise up during tense moments. "I don't know, it's very difficult for me to say what we had and they don't.

cricket India Cricket Team West Indies Cricket Team World Cup 2023 cup on Rohit Sharma Harbhajan Singh Australia New Zealand India

With only two months remaining for the ODI World Cup 2023, India are in their final stages of deciding the team combination. Their desperate call on experimentations was evident in the way Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were rested from the final two ODIs against West Indies. With a bunch of fringe players, India lost the second ODI but made a brilliant comeback to win the third ODI. Sanju Samson played a great role in the third ODI and even scored a half-century while batting at No. 4. However, veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin feels that Samson has got "no space" in the top-4 in ODIs.

"Middle Order Crumbled Without Virat Kohli And Rohit Sharma": Ex-India Star's Warning For Youngsters Ahead Of World Cup

The recently-concluded India vs West Indies three-match ODI series was a good test for the former team that continues to prepare for the ODI World Cup 2023. After the series opener, India rested veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the next two games. The very first game without the two star players saw Indian batting unit failing miserably. The side posted was bundled out for 181 runs batting first before West Indies chased it down in 36.4 overs with six wickets in hand.

Watch: Rohit Sharma's Craze Grips USA! Fans Turn Up In Huge Numbers To See India Captain

India captain Rohit Sharma received a grand welcome from his fans during his appearance at an event in the United States of America. Rohit, who is rested for the ongoing T20I series against West Indies, was mobbed by fans as he came out of his car to attend an event in Milpitas, California. The star batter clicked pictures and greeted the fans, before the security escorted him inside. The viral video was shared by a San Francisco based guy, Jeeven Santhosh, on Twitter.

On ODI World Cup, Ex-Pakistan's Star's Stern Warning To Team India

Indian batters are known for their ability to tackle spinners, something which has been missing of late, according to former Pakistan captain Salman Butt. Following India's defeat to West Indies in the first T20I, Butt urged the team management to address the issue. The visitors won the ODI series 2-1 last week, but lost the T20I opener in the absence of senior pros like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Butt feels that the current crop of players have not been able to cement their supremacy, when it comes to tackling spinners.

'Used To Choke Against India But...': Ex-Pakistan Captain Fires "World Cup" Warning To Rohit Sharma And Co.

After losing 12 matches on the trot, Pakistan finally ended its streak of losing to India in World Cups during the T20 World Cup in the UAE in 2021. Openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan helped Pakistan win by 10 wickets after the bowlers had laid the foundation with a strong performance. Former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis has revealed that pressure was never a concern for the high-octane clash against India, adding that the team used to choke against their arch-rivals at ICC events.

"Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma Shouldn't Have Gone": Ex-India Star's Sharp Take On Experiments vs WI

Former Indian batter Mohammed Kaif opined that the India's ongoing tour of West Indies was taken lightly, as it witnessed a lot of experimentation and chances given to youngsters, especially in the ODI leg of the tour and judgements about the team should be made from the Asia Cup, where they should field their best playing XI. India won the ODI series against West Indies by 2-1. A lot of experiments within the squad was done. Seniors like Virat Kohli and skipper Rohit Sharma were rested and youngsters/non-regulars like Sanju Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Mukesh Kumar, Suryakumar Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat etc., were given chances to play.