3 reasons why India have high chances to make it to World Cup 2023 final

The Indian cricket team currently holds the number 1 position in the ICC Men's ODI rankings. Their remarkable achievements, such as a comprehensive victory in the Asia Cup and a convincing 2-1 triumph over the Australian team at home in an ODI series, have solidified Rohit Sharma's squad as a formidable force on the international stage.

The highly anticipated ODI World Cup 2023 is set to kick off on October 5, 2023, with the inaugural match between defending champions England and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

India's journey in the tournament begins on October 8, 2023, with a match against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Following that, the eagerly awaited India-Pakistan clash will take place on October 14 in Ahmedabad. In total, the Indian team is scheduled to play nine matches in this World Cup before the knockours, spanning across ten stadiums in India.

India has a plethora of reasons to believe that they can not only reach the finals but also emerge as champions of the World Cup, given the favorable factors working in their favor this year.

Here are three compelling reasons why India may reach the World Cup finals:

A formidable batting line-up:

• Indian pitches are renowned for being batting-friendly, and the current Indian team boasts one of the most potent batting line-ups in the tournament.
• The standout feature is the exceptional form of newcomers such as Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, and Ishan Kishan, all making their debut in an ODI World Cup.
• Gill, in particular, stands out with two centuries in his last four ODIs.
• Complementing these rising stars are established batting stalwarts like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja.
• The presence of Ravichandran Ashwin and Shardul Thakur further adds depth to India's batting line-up.

Allrounders at their best

• With Hardik Pandya returning to form, the Indian team now boasts four dynamic allrounders, including Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Shardul Thakur. All four players are in stellar form.
• In the 2019 World Cup, India took a gamble by including Vijay Shankar as an extra all-rounder at the expense of Ambati Rayudu, but it didn't pay off as Shankar failed to leave a mark.
• Recognising the utility of all-rounders, every team in this World Cup is fielding 2-3 players who can contribute both with bat and ball.
• For instance, Australia relies on the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, and Cameron Green, while England has Ben Stokes, Sam Curran, and Liam Livingstone. Pakistan, too, has its trio of Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, and Mohammad Nawaz.
• Given the variable nature of Indian wickets, having all-rounders is invaluable as they can rise to the occasion and play a pivotal role that can decide the outcome of the game.

Home advantage

• It may sound unusual, but the last three World Cups were won by the host nations. India hosted and won the World Cup in 2011, Australia repeated the feat in 2015, and England followed suit in the most recent edition.
• While it would be unwise to underestimate England and Australia in any tournament, there's no denying that the Indian team is at its strongest on home soil.
• Apart from England and Australia, no other team appears to pose a formidable challenge to India in this World Cup.
• Therefore, the expectations are high for India to secure a spot in the finals, which are slated to take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium on November 19, 2023, and clinch the coveted trophy.