Hyderabad: India has emerged as a dominating force in the current ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, with many considering them favorites for the title. In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, former cricketer Sunil Valson, who was part of the 1983 World Cup-winning Indian team, said that the current Indian team is even better than the legendary West Indies team of the 1970s.
On being asked for insights on the overall performance of the Indian team in the marquee tournament, Valson started with a laugh and said, "Does any one need to say on India? They have been fantastic and their performance has been overwhelming."
According to Valson, the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team's dominance is reminiscent of the West Indies' excellence in the World Cup in 1975 and 1979. West Indies led by the great Sir Clive Lloyd.
"What sets India apart is their ability to play swiftly, something even the mighty West Indies and Australia struggled with during their peak times. Even the West Indies had some close games during those times but the current Indian side has not allowed any team to come close to challenging them in the league stages," Valson said.
Singling out India opener Shubhman Gill, Valson said, "Every Indian had a sense of fear and doubt on his performance after the Indian opener was hit by dengue. But his phenomenal performance, especially considering his comeback has been phenomenal."
The former India cricketer also discussed the initial concerns about all-rounder Hardik Pandya's absence due to injury but praised pacer Mohammad Shami for stepping up and wreaking havoc with his seam bowling. "Hardik Pandya's absence was a big concern but the way our bowlers (have) stepped up and took the charge is a site worth watching," said Valson.
Highlighting the exceptional performance of New Zealand youngster Rachin Ravindra, Valson labeled him as the find of the tournament. He praised Rachin Ravindra's skills in both batting and bowling, predicting a high price for him in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) auction to be held in Dubai.
In a light-hearted moment, Valson commented on star batter and former skipper Virat Kohli being the potential sixth bowling option. While acknowledging Virat Kohli's bowling performance in the last match against the Netherlands, he humorously mentioned that even if the need arises, both Kohli and Rohit Sharma can contribute a few overs.
Looking ahead to India's potential third ODI World Cup victory, Valson expressed confidence that India would overcome the remaining hurdles without any hiccups.
Valson asserted, "India will not be facing any such challenges considering their form. We will watch India lifting the trophy in Ahmedabad, the venue for the final on November 19."
When questioned about India's historical struggles in the knockout stages of ICC tournaments, Valson urged focusing on the present dominance of the team. He dismissed the impact of past failures, pointing out that even teams like South Africa and New Zealand had faced similar challenges but stressed India's current dominance and status as tournament favorites.
"We need to think of the present. Even South Africa and New Zealand have choked earlier in crucial stages but that does not matter in the current scenario. In present, India has been totally dominant and are tournament favourites. History will not impact anywhere," said Valson, who represented Delhi and Railways, in the domestic circuit.
Acknowledging the outstanding performance of minnows Netherlands and Afghanistan, Valson praised the young talents and their ability to defeat some of the biggest teams. He predicted these teams to be tough competitors in future tournaments.
In a quick rapid-fire round, Valson playfully refused to predict the World Cup winner, stating that all Indian hearts collectively wish for the same. When asked about the tournament's top scorer, he mentioned tough contenders like Rachin Ravindra and South African opener Quinton de Kock but expressed his wish for Virat Kohli to finish as the highest run-scorer in the World Cup 2023.
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