ICC World Cup 2023: Kapil Dev Predicts Rohit Sharma-Led India's Future In ODI World Cup

Former Indian cricket legend and 1983 World Cup-winning team skipper, Kapil Dev advised Rohit Sharma to play more attacking cricket and praised England’s Bazball playing style.

In an interview with the Times of India, Kapil Dev praised Bazball and said that the Ashes 2023 series was one of the finest cricket he has seen in recent times.

Kapil Dev added that Rohit Sharma is ‘good’ but the Indian skipper needs to play more attacking cricket like how England plays now since winning a game is the main priority.

“Bazball is wonderful. The series between England and Australia was one of the finest series I have seen in recent times. I think cricket should be played like that. Rohit is good. But he must be more aggressive. You have to think about how teams like England play now. And it’s not just us. All cricket-playing countries have to think on those lines. Winning the game should be the highest priority (not play for draws) for all teams,” Kapil Dev said.

They need to come in the top four: Kapil Dev predicts Rohit Sharma-led India’s chances of winning ODI World Cup

The former Indian skipper said that if the Men in Blues qualify in the playoffs and become one of the top four teams then anything is possible and one should have the luck after that to reach the final spot and win the trophy.

“They need to come in the top four (semi-finals) first. After that, anything is possible. You need a stroke of luck from the semi-final stage onwards and need things to go your way. But the most important thing is to reach the top four,” he added.

While talking about the current injury problems, Kapil Dev said that it is part of a player’s life. He also feels that the Indian Cricket Team is playing too much cricket which is causing such problems and asked the fixture committee to keep a check on it.

“Injuries are part and parcel of any player’s life. But I feel they (Indian Cricket Team) are playing too much cricket. The fixtures committee should seriously look at how much cricket they want to give the team and its players,” Kapil added.

The ODI World Cup 2023 in India will begin on October 5th and the Men in Blues will start their voyage on October 8th against Australia at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. India will take on Pakistan in the high-voltage match on October 14th at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Currently, the pressure will be on Rohit Sharma to lead the team till the final match and clinch a win to end the 10-year-long trophy drought. The Men in Blues skipper cannot afford to make a mistake that may cost them out of the tournament.

Injury problems have been a major concern for the Indian Cricket Team, as KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Rishabh Pant are still out due to injury and there is no official confirmation regarding their return to the squad. However, all three players have started practicing at NCA which is a good sign.