ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: With less than two months to go for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, the cricket pundits have begun sharing their bold predictions for the tournament. The build-up for the global showpiece event has picked its pace at the right moment and it will get bigger with each passing moment.
In the latest development, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has revealed his prediction on which 4 teams will play out the semi-finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.
Chopra, just like any other analyst, predicts India to be the frontrunner of the tournament for obvious reasons. Moreover, he highlighted the fact that the host teams have done well in the previous three ICC Cricket World Cups.
“India are the favourites. Because it is happening at home, they will definitely be the favourites and if you see the last three World Cups – Australia won in Australia, England won in England, and before that India won in India,” Aakash Chopra said.
Besides the fact that it’s happening on home soil, India are a formidable unit in world cricket. The cricket world is well versed in what India has achieved in the past and what dangers it brings to its opponents.
“It is absolutely right for the home team to be the favourites because we have seen the home team win the last three 50-over World Cups. So, of course, India are one of the favourites,” the former Indian opener added.
Chopra believes Pakistan has a very strong ODI side, which will be led by Babar Azam, and will be one of the four semi-finalists in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. He kept Australia and England as the other two teams to enter the semi-finals along with India and Pakistan.
“They (India) are the frontrunners but apart from them, the three other semi-finalists could be Pakistan, whose ODI team is very good, England and Australia. I feel you might see these four teams playing in the semi-finals,” the Agra-born cricketer said.
“I will be slightly surprised if any of them does not play the semi-finals, although you do get slightly surprised when the World Cup happens. The New Zealand guys are saying that they are also coming and it is an ICC event,” Chopra concluded.
The ICC World Cup 2023 will commence on October 5 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. England will face New Zealand in the tournament opener in Ahmedabad. The summit clash will be staged on November 19 at the same venue.
For more details head to ICC’s official website.
