Every captain has a dream of lifting the prestigious trophy of the ODI World Cup in his career stint but it is not easy considering the cut-throat competition in international cricket. MS Dhoni-led team won the event in 2011, which was India’s second triumph after 1983. However, the Men in Blue were undone in the next two editions by Australia and New Zealand respectively. The two semi-final defeats were hard to swallow as India were billed as favorites for the title.
The last edition, which was played in England and Wales, saw India cruising in the group stage but the moment they made it to the knock-out stage, things went wayward for the traveling team. The main reason was India’s indecisiveness to pick a proper batsman who could bat at number four. This mistake came to trouble them in the semis where the quick fall of wickets resulted in another shocking defeat.
Even after such a humiliating defeat in England and Wales last year, Virat Kohli feels that his team should start planning for the World Cup 2023 after two years and not now.
“It’s too far to think about 2023 right now. For us, the priority always has been to be one of the most consistent sides in the world. I think in the last 3-4 years, we have been able to achieve that. You really start planning for the (ODI) World Cup and looking forward to it with 12 months to go and not four years away. The priority is to keep Indian cricket at the top,” said Kohli after India had exited from the World Cup 2019.
While Virat Kohli is looking relaxed at the moment for the next edition of the World Cup, former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was in a flap for the grand tournament in 2011. He started preparing his core team for the showpiece event in 2008 and his hard work paid off as India successfully lifted the World Cup in front of the home crowd.
Virat has no clue about his plan of action. If we talk about the batting lineup of India, then the team-management kept shuffling the players on a regular basis. The opening pair and the number four slot are still a bone of contention for Team India. Rohit Sharma has cemented his place as the opener for Men in Blue with his strong batting display in the international arena but nobody knows who will be his partner in the upcoming tournaments. The selectors and team management are confused between Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul.
As far as the number 4th position is concerned, India are still unsure. In the home series against West Indies, young cricketer Shreyas Iyer was given the responsibility to bat at number 4 and he performed well for the side. However, his position is still dicey considering Virat and Shastri’s habit of trying different combinations.
Even Virat Kohli’s preference for Kedar Jadhav is baffling. He is 35 and will not be around for the next edition of the World Cup in India but he is being preferred over young guns.
On the other hand in the bowling unit, pacers like Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini and Umesh Yadav kept haven’t got enough chances despite putting in an impressive performance. The likes of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have been dropped every now and then.
If India want to win the next edition of the World Cup, then Virat Kohli should start making the blueprint for his core team otherwise the Men in Blue will face another fruitless campaign in 2023. This is the high time for the skipper to revolutionize his approach towards the biggest cricket event in the world.