CRICKET
‘They would probably have to wait another three World Cups if…’ – Ravi Shastri’s warning for Team India ahead of knockout stage of ODI World Cup 2023
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri came up with a warning or a sort of ‘wake-up call’ for Rohit Sharma-led Team India ahead of the knockout stage of the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023. Notably, the men in blue will face New Zealand in the first semi-final of the tournament on Wednesday, November 15 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Meanwhile, Ravi Shastri weighed on the importance and urgency of the ongoing home ODI World Cup 2023 campaign. He also lauded the pace attack of the Indian team calling them the best Indian bowling attack in the 50-year-long history of ODI cricket since 1971.
“The pool of players is such that 7-8 players are at their peak in this edition.” – Ravi Shastri
“If they miss out this time, they would probably have to wait another three World Cups for even thinking of trying to win it. The pool of players is such that 7-8 players are at their peak,” said Shastri in a conversation with the Club Prairie Fire podcast.
“It is the best attack in 50 years ever since white-ball cricket started,” he added later while talking about India’s bowling attack.
Notably, Rohit Sharma’s men are coming up unbeaten in the tournament so far with 8 successive wins in the 8 matches they played so far before the ongoing 9th league match against the Netherlands. Team India defeated all the big teams with huge margins to continue their winning run in a convincing style in the tournament so far.
Speaking of India’s performance in the ODI World Cups, they have made it to the semi-finals of the tournament for the fourth consecutive time since 2011; apart from that, it will be their fifth semi-final appearance in the ODI World Cup in the 21st century.
Now, they’ll be eyeing to end their 12-year-long wait for an ODI World Cup title since they won it last in the year 2011 under the captaincy of former legendary skipper MS Dhoni. Interestingly, that was also a home edition of an ODI World Cup for Team India.