On Monday, India’s reported schedule for the 2023 ODI World Cup was released, drawing up the majority of fixtures, while qualifiers still remain to be decided. India will be the sole hosts for the World Cup this year, and will try to recreate the magic of the 2011 World Cup after a lengthy ICC trophy drought. India enter the tournament as favourites by virtue of being hosts, and have some blockbuster encounters to look forward to.
While the reported match-ups against Australia in Chennai, England in Lucknow, New Zealand in Dharamshala, South Africa in Kolkata, and most significantly Pakistan in Ahmedabad jump off the schedule page, India will still have to contend with tricky opposition in other matches as well.
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Former opener Aakash Chopra took to his YouTube channel to share his thoughts on the tournament schedule for India, and in particular warned the team to be wary of eastern neighbours Bangladesh in the tournament.
“India will face Bangladesh on October 19 in Pune. Bangladesh are not pushovers. They are a decent team and I feel they will do okay in 50-over cricket,” said Chopra on his channel. India were infamously knocked out by Bangladesh at the 2007 World Cup, an embarrassing loss which led to an injunction into the team and wholesale changes, right from coaching to captaincy. Bangladesh have since remained a team for India to look out for ever since.
Bangladesh were a source of bother for India at the 2016 T20 World Cup, in which the iconic MS Dhoni run-out saved India from a loss to the spirited Bangladeshi side. This would be followed by a last-ball victory in the final of the Asia Cup in 2018 as well, with several hearts-in-mouths moment for the Indian team throughout that tightly-contested match. Perhaps most famously in recent years was the last-ball six from Dinesh Karthik in the Nidahas Trophy final, with 5 required off the last ball, breaking Bangladeshi hearts yet again with a remarkably tight finish.
{{/usCountry}}Bangladesh were a source of bother for India at the 2016 T20 World Cup, in which the iconic MS Dhoni run-out saved India from a loss to the spirited Bangladeshi side. This would be followed by a last-ball victory in the final of the Asia Cup in 2018 as well, with several hearts-in-mouths moment for the Indian team throughout that tightly-contested match. Perhaps most famously in recent years was the last-ball six from Dinesh Karthik in the Nidahas Trophy final, with 5 required off the last ball, breaking Bangladeshi hearts yet again with a remarkably tight finish.
{{/usCountry}}Bangladesh beat India 2-1 in the ODI series in December 2022, including a thrilling second ODI in Mirpur where an injured Rohit Sharma entered the crease late and nearly pulled off a win when the side required 20 runs in the final over of the match. That series will give Bangladesh confidence heading into the World Cup, as well as a string of positive results in Asian conditions against the world’s best teams in the recent past.
“This is a team that can actually trouble you a little bit,” concluded Chopra, and Indian players and fans alike will be aware of the quality Bangladesh can bring to the big stage, with all the scares and tight matches in the recent past standing as testament to the Tigers’ fighting spirit and threat.
Chopra also pointed out that the Dharamshala venue will suit New Zealand, with the conditions being more akin to what their pace bowlers and batters might enjoy. "New Zealand has been our Achilles heel, so this can be a slight problem. We have to be always wary of New Zealand and the Dharamsala ground might suit them," said Chopra of the Kiwis.