India is one of the best teams in the World, cricket has undoubtedly been adopted as India’s own game from being the gentleman’s game. Team India often referred to as the Men in Blue, has been ranked no.1 by the ICC across several formats, especially excelling in white-ball cricket with the Champions Trophy in sight.
India despite being ranked the no.1 team over a long period has not been able to win the Cricket World Cup in 2023, as India lost the game to Australia which ended their undefeated streak in the World Cup. However, recently they were crowned the World Champions in the shortest format of the game and were high on confidence.
India also changed their hands in coaching as team India head coach Rahul Dravid left his position and went to Gautam Gambhir who is much anticipated to change the course of Indian cricket, as he will prepare the Indian side for the Champions Trophy which is to be held after a major 6-year gap.
India has recently played Sri Lanka in the island nation and is in very poor form as they have lost their game against Sri Lanka, despite low scores. Before this India have managed to win 10 ODI series against the neighboring nation. India after this will play only against England under home conditions in the longer format of white-ball cricket, as a part of India’s preparation for the upcoming Champions Trophy.
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3 Reasons Why India Can Be the Favourites in the Champions Trophy
Inform Rohit Sharma is a major concern for all opposition of the Indian team
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has been in blistering form since CWC 2023. Sharma recently led India to the T20 World Cup triumph, where he was the pick of the batter for his side with the most runs scored.
Sharma seems to be peaking at the end days of his career, aged 37, he is in the finest of touches, as he has scored abundant runs in both the T20I as well as the longest format of the game. In the ODI series against Sri Lanka, Rohit has been India’s only standout performer scoring 130+ runs in both games with a strike rate of 130+ as well, with 2 half-centuries in the series already.
He will look to continue this form into the Champions Trophy and play a similar role just like he did in the powerplay overs in the last World Cup. He will be in his aggressive self and looking to score quick runs early on in the powerplay to give the team the most handy start.
India is en route to make one of the most decorated Bowling decks
India already has proved that a promising bowling lineup can often cause a very vital change to your campaign. Firstly in the previous World Cup, Mohammad Shami and veteran Jasprit Bumrah spearheaded India’s pace attack and the duo demolished several batting lineups.
However, Mohammad Shami was ruled out of the following T20I World Cup, due to injury. Bumrah alongside Arshdeep Singh led India to yet another wonderful campaign in the United States, which was highly dependent on the bowlers due to the bowling-friendly tracks of the States.
Mohammad Shami who has now been often seen in the nets at the National Cricket Academy is probably recovering from an injury, and hence the Bumrah-Shami pair might once again be seen in the Champions Trophy. Shami is also among the few senior players who was part of MS Dhoni-led India’s Champions Trophy winning squad in 2013.
Alongside the two legends of Indian cricket, they will also have the likes of Mohammad Siraj, Arshdeep Singh and spinners Kuldeep Yadav and probably a bunch of all-rounders as well. Hardik Pandya is India’s only pace-bowling all-rounder, while Axar, Jadeja and Washington Sundar can be under Gambhir’s trial for the CT.
With so diverse a bowling deck with such pure quality, India will probably be one of the finest teams with the best bowling deck on team sheets and if everyone among them performs they will be an unstoppable force to resist.
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The presence of a World Class bench and the tactical prowess of Gautam Gambhir will be a cherry on the top
India have the best possible bunch of players who adorn their bench. Gambhir might include the likes of fine players like, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Washington Sundar, Shreyas Iyer and Indian T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav for the reserved benched players in the Champions Trophy.
Now always having a great team on paper doesn’t help but if one also has one of the modern crickets’ best thinkers who can influence the brilliance of the players with his tactical greatness then a good bench can always come in handy. Gambhir has already proved his excellence especially in the shortest format of the game, not only at the franchise level with the KKR but also with India in the T20I series, where India was seen producing wonders with unconventional methods.
Though recently criticised, he will need some time to set himself up with the team in the longer format as well, however, Gambhir is expected to excel again and lead India to a successful campaign in the Champions Trophy.
