From October 5th, the Indian cricket team will be embarking on a new chapter as they participate in the One Day International (ODI) Cricket World Cup in India, which comes after a gap of 12 years. As a result, there is strong competition expected in the upcoming tournament, and Team India is seen as a formidable contender. Rohit Sharma has been announced as the captain for this competition, and the hopes of many Indians are riding on the shoulders of the 15 talented players selected for the team.
Before this highly anticipated tournament, former cricketers have expressed their views and one of the most talked-about events is the greatest rivalry in cricket. In this context, India’s former spinner, Harbhajan Singh, and Pakistan’s former fast bowler, Shoaib Akhtar, have both shared their opinions. At this moment, both legends are reminiscing about their respective team’s victories.
In the midst of discussions about who might win the World Cup, Bhajji (Harbhajan Singh) and Akhtar (Shoaib Akhtar) engaged in a candid conversation. Shoaib expressed his belief in Pakistan’s chances against India in the World Cup. He mentioned that because Pakistan would be playing in India, they should not be overly anxious and should not let crowd pressure affect them. India vs. Pakistan matches usually draw over 50,000 spectators, with a significant portion naturally supporting India. The pressure is much more on the Indian team due to media scrutiny, but Pakistan should not buckle under pressure.
The clash between Bhajji & Akhtar
Harbhajan Singh responded to Shoaib’s claims, saying, “The Pakistani team has performed well in the past two years. Pakistan has good bowlers, but the Indian team has a lineup of legendary batsmen. If the new crop of Indian batsmen performs well, it will be challenging to stop them,” as stated by Harbhajan.
Regarding the 2011 World Cup, Shoaib Akhtar expressed his desire to change the outcome of the previous defeat against India. He mentioned that they want to show India a different path in the final stages of the World Cup. Harbhajan Singh recalled the memories of the semi-final clash in the 2011 World Cup, where India emerged victorious, and he also added that Pakistan had a chance to defeat India in the 2050 World Cup, emphasizing the competitive spirit of both teams.
Indian team for the One Day International (ODI) Cricket World Cup:
- Rohit Sharma (C)
- Shubman Gill
- Virat Kohli
- Shreyas Iyer
- Ishan Kishan (WK)
- KL Rahul
- Hardik Pandya
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Axar Patel
- Shardul Thakur
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Mohammed Siraj
- Mohammed Shami
- Kuldeep Yadav
Here is the schedule of India’s matches in the upcoming ODI Cricket World Cup:
- India vs. Australia on October 8th in Chennai
- India vs. Afghanistan on October 11th in Delhi
- India vs. Pakistan on October 14th in Ahmedabad
- India vs. Bangladesh on October 19th in Pune
- India vs. New Zealand on October 22nd in Dharamshala
- India vs. England on October 29th in Lucknow
- India vs. Sri Lanka on November 2nd in Mumbai
- India vs. South Africa on November 5th in Kolkata
- India vs. Netherlands on November 12th in Bangalore
