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Ranked second in One Day Internationals (ODIs) after the hosts England, Indian is one of the top contenders for the ICC World Cup 2019, which is just a couple of days away from kicking off. They have clinched the Cricket World Cup twice, once in 1983 and again in 2011.
In 2015, India went into the tournament as defending champions but faced defeat at the hands of Australia (the eventual winners) in the semi-finals. For the ICC World Cup 2019, they have picked a 15-member squad with 7 players from the 2015 Cricket World Cup team.
With a good combination of experience and young talent in the likes of KL Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav, India seems to be ready to take on the other teams for the ICC World Cup 2019. Nonetheless, they will need to play better cricket than the other teams if they’re going to win the prestigious trophy.
India’s 15-Member Squad for the ICC World Cup 2019
- Rohit Sharma (Batsman)
- Shikhar Dhawan (Batsman)
- Virat Kohli (c) (Batsman)
- Vijay Shankar (All Rounder)
- Kedar Jadhav (All Rounder)
- Hardik Pandya (All Rounder)
- Ravindra Jadeja (All Rounder)
- MS Dhoni (Wicket Keeper Batsman)
- KL Rahul (Wicket Keeper Batsman)
- Dinesh Karthik (Wicket Keeper Batsman)
- Kuldeep Yadav (Bowler)
- Mohammed Shami (Bowler)
- Jasprit Bumrah (Bowler)
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Bowler)
- Yuzvendra Chahal (Bowler)
3 Reasons Why India Might Win the ICC World Cup 2019
1. Strongest Side on Paper
Heading into the World Cup, India has many match winning players featuring in their squad. The Captain, Virat Kohli, has been in exceptional form with the bat over the last three years and is one of the world’s best-limited overs batsmen, while MS Dhoni remains the most intelligent gloveman in the cricketing world.
Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, when in form, can provide the explosive starts the Indian team needs up the order. All-rounders Jadeja and Pandya can contribute with both bat and ball, whereas their in-form fast bowling attack accompanied by the spin of Yadav and Chahal can cause problems for any batting side.
2. Well Balanced Team
Though South Africa boasts the strongest bowling lineup ahead of the World Cup, and England the strongest batting lineup, India seems to have the best of both worlds. England’s bowling lineup is underwhelming and lacks firepower, while South Africa’s batting lineup is struggling to find form and could face difficulties in English conditions.
The India team, on the other hand, have what it takes to post totals above 300-350. They now also boast a bowling lineup that can restrict the opposition to small totals. This means if India clicks in all the departments, they will most likely be an unstoppable force.
3. Best Away Form in a While
For as long as we can remember, India has faced criticism that they don’t perform well away as they do at home. This Indian team is another story. They might have lost the recent ODI series against England 2-1, but they picked up a number of series victories away from home as well, including convincing series wins against Australia and South Africa at their home grounds.
2 Reasons Why India Might Not Win the ICC World Cup 2019
1. Recent Home Form is Against Them
India’s last home series before the Indian Premier League (IPL) was against Australia. If we look at cricket history, India has often sustained dominance when playing at home. However, they lost the series 3-2 after losing the last three matches.
Considering the fact that they had kicked off the series with a bang, and Australia hadn’t won a single series in the last two years, India’s recent home form may cause them to worry a little if not too much.
2.Poor Recent Results in England
Probably the biggest concern for the Indian team would be their recent results in English conditions. Besides losing to England, they were also handed defeats at the hands of Pakistan and Sri Lanka during the Champions Trophy 2017. Granted that the loss to Pakistan was after reaching the final, but their inability to defend a healthy total of 321 against a weakened Sri Lankan side is alarming.
Watch ICC World Cup 2019 Live Online From Anywhere
Even though the Cricket World Cup is incredibly popular across the world, watching it live online isn’t easy. The matches will be broadcasted by a handful of channels, most of which can’t be accessed from everywhere. If you want to watch ICC World Cup 2019 live from anywhere, follow these steps:
- Subscribe to a VPN service like PureVPN
- Download and install the PureVPN app on your streaming device
- Choose Hotstar from the Popular Websites list.
- Visit Hotstar and stream the Cricket World Cup matches live!
Wrapping Things Up
All in all, the Indian team is balanced enough to give the others a run for their money during the Cricket World Cup 2019. However, will they lift the trophy? We’ll have to wait and see!
