"I don't think this is by far India's stronger team ever" - Sunil Gavaskar on Men in Blue's World Cup 2023 squad
Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar feels that Team India's 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup 2023 isn't by far the country's strongest lineup in the history of the showpiece tournament.
Gavaskar believes that India's World Cup squads of 1987 and 2011 are the best ever in the history of Indian cricket. The cricketer-turned-commentator made these remarks in a video shared by Star Sports on YouTube (2:47).
"I don't think this is by far India's stronger team ever the one in 2011 that won the title are the strongest Indian sides in history," Gavaskar said.
Sunil Gavaskar also pointed out how Rohit Sharma, who didn't make it to India's 2011 World Cup squad, toiled hard after the snub to be at the stage where he is now.
He suggested that the Indian skipper would be keen to lift the coveted trophy, like Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni have done in the past (3:35).
"There are times when you fail to find a place in the team, and you need to work hard after that," he said. "Rohit Sharma did the same, and he was ultimately rewarded. He would want to replicate what Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni did in the past. He will want to lift that World Cup trophy on November 19th and delight all the Indian fans."
Rohit Sharma and company have showcased impressive form on the road to the ICC event. They will enter the competition as No. 1 in the ICC rankings across formats.
"India would have gained a lot of confidence from their series win over Australia" - Sunil Gavaskar
Team India were scheduled to play warm-up matches against England and the Netherlands ahead of the World Cup 2023. However, both matches were abandoned due to rain.
Sunil Gavaskar stated that he isn't too bothered with warm-up games. He mentioned that India secured a 2-1 ODI home series win over Australia prior to the showpiece event, which would have boosted their morale.
Speaking in the same video, Gavaskar elaborated (4:23):
"I am not interested in warm-up matches. All 15 members of the squad get a chance in warm-up matches. However, there were just 11 players on the field during India's series against Australia. It was mandatory to win there. Everything is counted in the record. Whereas in warm-ups, even if you score a century, it isn't counted in your record. India would have gained a lot of confidence from their series win over Australia."
Gavaskar also emphasised the importance of lower-order batters chipping in with crucial contributions. He highlighted how India have the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, who can play big shots towards the back end of the innings. He explained (6:20):
"Every run matters. If you are batting first and are at 245/6, the last five overs will be very crucial, as that can take your total to 300. Similarly, if you are chasing a 280-run target and have lost wickets, you cannot just rely on singles and doubles but also need to play big shots. It's good that the lower-order batters have been practicing big shots. The likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin are very capable of hitting big sixes."
India will open their World Cup 2023 campaign with an encounter against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, October 8.