“I am sure that they will win the Asia Cup, but in World Cup”, Madan Lal hesitant to label India as contenders for ODI World Cup

Former Indian all-rounder, Madan Lal supports Team India for the approaching Asia Cup, which is scheduled to begin on August 30th.

“I am sure that they will win the Asia Cup, but in World Cup”, Madan Lal hesitant to label India as contenders for ODI World Cup

Madan Lal (via Crictracker)

Former Indian all-rounder, Madan Lal opined what he thinks about the current condition of Team India for the Asia Cup, which is slated to start on August 30th with a match between Pakistan and Nepal. India will start their campaign on September 3 against arch-rivals Pakistan.

India, in total, have won Asia Cup titles, including consecutive victories in 2016 and 2018. And this indeed speaks for India’s dominance in the tournament. However, the recent T20I event, in which they failed to reach the final, invited criticism from all corners of the country.

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What’s the plot twist? The Asia Cup will return to the 50-over format this year. And though Madan Lal thinks India will dominate in the tournament, he is still hesitant to label them as contenders for the home mega-event, that is the ODI World Cup.

Madan Lal, a 1983 World Cup champion, noted that strong teams such as South Africa, Australia, Pakistan, and New Zealand could challenge India in the World Cup. He highlighted that hosting the World Cup comes with both benefits as well as pressure, as the cricket supporters in India are relying on the home team.

“I am sure that they will win the Asia Cup, but in World Cup any six teams—Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa… are the six top teams,” Lal told to Hindustan Times.

As India prepares to host the thirteenth edition of the World Cup from October 5 to November 19, the pressure to win an ICC trophy increases. Their last ICC championship victory was in 2013, during the Champions Trophy in England.

Related: ”No spinner better than…”, Harbhajan Singh urges for the inclusion of Yuzvendra Chahal in 2023 Asia Cup squad

Madan Lal says his concer will be the fitness levels

Madan Lal, a former all-rounder, is confident that India will win the Asia Cup, but he is less sure that they will win the World Cup.
KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer (Image via Hindustan Times)

Madan Lal expressed his main concern regarding the fitness levels of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul as per their return from injury. However, the pair had played a few games prior to competing at a high level, so his concerns stopped there.

KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are back in the Indian squad after a lengthy absence due to injuries. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar affirmed that Iyer is entirely fit, while Rahul will miss a few tournament matches due to a niggle.

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