Exclusive | 'India favourites to win World Cup 2023': Mohammed Azharuddin, who led three WC campaigns

Former India skipper Mohammed Azharuddin, who led India in three ODI World Cups - 1992, 1996 and 1999, feels that the Rohit Sharma-led team are favourites to lift the coveted Silverware on November 19 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. In the current edition of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, India is the only team which was unbeaten in the league stage and will face New Zealand in the first semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, writes ETV Bharat's Nikhil Bapat.

Hyderabad: Former India skipper Mohammed Azharuddin believes that the current Indian cricket team led by skipper Rohit Sharma is the favourite to win the ongoing Cricket World Cup and end the drought of winning the ICC Trophy since 2013.

Azharuddin took time out from a busy schedule while campaigning for the Telangana Assembly elections which will be held on November 30. Azhar, who has played a staggering 99 Tests, is contesting on a Congress ticket from the Jubilee Hills constituency here.

"India are very favourites to win the (ODI) World Cup," 60-year-old Mohammed Azharuddin, who has 9,378 runs, from 334 ODIs, told ETV Bharat in an exclusive interaction.

The Indian side is on a winning spree and remain as the only unbeaten team in the league stage of the ongoing World Cup. India which started their campaign at the Chepauk in Chennai against Australia finished their league stage campaign at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday last. They ended as table toppers.

"The way they are playing...they have a good (team) combination, the batting is good, the fielding is good and the bowling is good. All the departments are playing (well) and all the departments are in sync," reasoned Azharuddin, who has also a whopping 15,855 first-class runs from 229 matches.

For India, all their players have delivered and stood up when the team needed them. Apart from star batters like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, young guns like Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav have risen to the occasion and chipped in with necessary contributions.

The bowling attack led by pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been lethal and is instrumental in helping Team India trouncing their opponents. The Men in Blue take on New Zealand in the first semi-final of the marquee tournament at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday, November 15. A win would place India in the final. The winner from second final between Australia and South Africa scheduled for Thursday, will be the second team qualifying for the final which will be played at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad.

Read more