India is the best possible venue to host the 2023 Cricket World Cup as the game is like a religion for many Indians, despite the waning popularity of the 50-over game after the introduction of the T-20 format. The unfailing love for cricket will ensure an almost full house in every match and maximum TV viewership, which the shorter version of the game requires today. Moreover, the presence of thousands of cricket lovers in the stadium will definitely inspire cricketers to give their best to find a permanent place in the hearts of cricket lovers. So, one can expect a fierce battle between the cricket-playing nations, all capable of beating any side of the world on their day. For instance, no team can take Afghanistan, known as the minnows of international cricket lightly as the nation may not have a great batting line-up, but its bowling strength can create trouble for any batsman. If the Afghanistan batters can put up a respectable score on the board, it can achieve success even against big cricketing sides.
The possibility of a mouth-watering contest between the cricket playing nations has made the 2023 World Cup special. The competition, which began in 1975 largely remained a one-sided affair for the first two versions. The situation changed only in 1983 when India defeated the mighty West Indies, the two-time world champions, in the final to lift the coveted trophy. Since then barring New Zealand and South Africa, all other test playing nations have won the cup at least once. Among these two teams, New Zealand unfortunately lost in the finals on a few occasions. This time, New Zealand may avenge earlier defeats as it is coming with a balanced side, along with quality spinners perfectly suited for Indian conditions. On the other hand, South Africa will try hard to remove the chockers’ tag by improving their show on the world stage. Similarly, champions like England, Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and host nation India, will all try to emerge victorious.
It will be unwise to predict a winner beforehand as cricket is a game of glorious uncertainty, but many die-hard Indian fans believe that India will lift the coveted trophy this time. As the host nation, India will definitely start the World Cup campaign as one of the favourites, but there are other contenders too. To win the world title, India will have to perform to the best of its ability to beat its opponents. At the same time, keeping their cricketers injury-free is another big challenge for the Indian team management. The recent win in the Asia Cup championship and in the series against Australia must have boosted the morale of the Indian cricket team. But the World Cup is altogether a different ball game, where unlike any bilateral or triangular series, a team has to face new opponents every match, which makes the task tough. But whoever wins the competition, one thing is for sure, there will be many captivating moments.
