Having ticked all their boxes in the run-up to the ICC World Cup, newly-crowned Asian champions India have emerged as one of the strong contenders for the title at the quadrennial showpiece event, starting October 5.
The Indian team will now play a brief three-match ODI series against Australia at home, which will give them enough time to assess their final preparations before playing the warm-up games of the World Cup.
Former skipper Kapil Dev, who led India to their first ever World Cup triumph in 1983, feels that the Rohit Sharma-led outfit’s first focus should be on getting into the top four as he feels a lot would also depend on luck in the knock-outs.
“I think if we can come in top four, that is more important and then it will be about stroke of luck and everything. We can’t say right now that we are favourites, of course our team is very good. Heart says something else, mind says no we have to work very hard. I know our team, I don’t know about other teams, so I would say it is unfair for me to give a blank answer,” he said during the launch of the J&K Open golf tournament.
The Rs 50 lakh event, presented by J&K Tourism, will see top Indian professionals including Udayan Mane, Rashid Khan, defending champion Yuvraj Singh Sandhu and former champion Honey Baisoya, participating in the event.
The legendary all-rounder also heaped praises on Mohammed Siraj, the architect of India’s 10-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in Sunday’s Asia Cup final. Siraj took six wickets for 21 runs, that included four wickets in one over, to break the backbone of the Sri Lankan batting and bowl them out for a meagre 50.
“It is wonderful (to see Siraj bowl). I feel so happy that nowadays in all continents our fast bowlers are taking all 10 wickets, that’s the cherry on the cake. There was a time when we used to depend on spinners, it is not anymore, that’s why the strength of the team has become so good,” he said.
Kapil, however, said from a fan’s perspective, he would have expected a close affair in the final.
“As a player, I feel like bowling them out for 30 and winning. As a spectator, probably a little close matches would have been better,” he said.
He also showered praises on India’s new run machine, Shubman Gill, and termed him the ‘future of Indian cricket’.
“This is a youngster who we can look up to. He is the future of Indian cricket. Very very proud to have a player of that ability in India,” he said.