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'He will do what Yuvraj did in 2011': Srikkanth's colossal 2023 World Cup prediction for Team India
Team India will be aiming at ending its ICC trophy drought at the home World Cup in October-November later this year.
On Tuesday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the schedule for the ODI World Cup in India later this year, with the hosts beginning their campaign against Australia on October 8. India will be aiming to end over a 10-year trophy drought in ICC tournaments at the home World Cup; this is the first time when India will exclusively host the entire tournament. The last time an edition of the World Cup took place in the country, India were co-hosts alongside Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in 2011, when a Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side won the title.
The 2011 team boasted of multiple match-winners, with former all-rounder Yuvraj Singh being among the most valuable players of the side. Yuvraj scored 362 runs in the edition while also picking 15 wickets, and was named the player of the tournament. And ahead of the 2023 edition, former India batter Krishnamachari Srikkanth – who is also a World Cup winner from the 1983 edition – stated that Ravindra Jadeja can play the ‘Yuvraj role’ in the home tournament later this year.
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Jadeja has been among the key mainstays for India across all formats of the game; unlike Yuvraj, Jadeja is more of a bowling all-rounder but has produced important knocks from the bat in the lower-middle order from time to time. Boasting an average of 32.81, Jadeja has scored 2526 runs in 174 ODIs and remains only 8 wickets short of 200-mark in the format.
“In Indian conditions, some of the wickets will turn a lot. It won’t be bouncy like in Australia or moving conditions like in England. India are used to home conditions, and that is one of the biggest advantages for the Indians. In the 2011 World Cup, you saw a lot of all-rounders coming into play.
“We had a fantastic side, very well led by (MS) Dhoni, too, and that time we have Yuvraj Singh. I believe Ravindra Jadeja will do what Yuvraj Singh did in the 2011 World Cup," Srikkanth told India Today. The former India player also named Axar Patel alongside Jadeja as one of the key players.
“I believe Jadeja, the Axar Patels… these people will play a very crucial role if India has to win this 2023 World Cup,” Srikkanth added.
