‘They need a white ball trophy’ – Yuvraj Singh selects his four teams for ODI World Cup semi-finals

With the imminent ODI World Cup 2023 set to commence on October 5, fans eagerly anticipate discovering which team will clinch the prestigious title. In recent weeks, cricket luminaries, both past and present, have shared their predictions on the potential semi-finalists. It should also be noted that Yuvraj is among the elite players who have the honour of winning both the T20 World Cup as well as 50 overs World Cup.

The former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has also weighed in, naming South Africa as a surprising contender alongside India, Australia, New Zealand, and England in his list of four potential semi-finalists for the upcoming tournament. This is a no-brainer with the level of teams as well as the form of cricket in which all the teams are playing this edition of the World Cup will be really exciting to watch. The round-robin format of the game will surely make up for the fact that the tournament will be full of excitement as well as some upset loadings.

“Obviously India and Australia will be there (Semifinals). I will pick five teams as there’s always an upset in the World Cup. India, Australia, New Zealand, England and I just feel South Africa is due. They need a white ball trophy,” Yuvraj Singh told The Week.

Ben Stokes is the Number 1 all-rounder: Yuvraj

Moreover, Yuvraj Singh was questioned about his views on the current top all-rounders in international cricket. The 41-year-old mentioned players such as Mitchell Marsh and Ravindra Jadeja but emphasized the exceptional skills of English cricketer Ben Stokes. Yuvraj Singh acclaimed Stokes as the premier all-rounder in world cricket presently.

“There are a lot of all-rounders around. Mitchell Marsh, Ravindra Jadeja Ben Stokes is the No. 1 all-rounder at the moment. England have brought him back for the World Cup,” the legendary India all-rounder concluded.

Notably, Ben Stokes has reconsidered his choice to retire from ODI cricket, opting to participate in the upcoming ODI World Cup. Despite announcing retirement in 2022, his recent displays in white-ball cricket indicate his potential impact as England endeavours to defend their World Cup title.