As the cricket World Cup gets underway in India, Rohit Sharma’s team faces immense pressure from fans demanding an end to their drought in international titles.
They see India’s thumping win in the recent Asia Cup as just an appetiser.
India’s last major tournament win was the 2013 Champions Trophy, after Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team lifted the 2011 World Cup in Mumbai.
Now the nation of 1.4 billion dreams big again, as it hosts the tournament this year. The last two editions were also won by hosts, Australia in 2015 and England in 2019.
Veteran sports journalist Ayaz Memon said it is tough to predict a winner for the 10-team tournament as it is a “very interesting and close contest” but the host, fresh from winning the Asia Cup, remains one of the favourites.
“Fan expectations are high,” said Memon, who witnessed India’s first World Cup triumph under Kapil Dev 40 years ago.
“We have had disappointments and heartbreaks because we lost the semi-finals in 2015 and 2019. There is a high expectation now because the team looks very good on paper.”
India will begin their campaign against Australia on Oct 8, followed by a hotly-anticipated clash against arch-rivals Pakistan at the world’s biggest cricket stadium, in Ahmedabad.
A match involving India, which has superstars including Virat Kohli and Rohit, draws millions of fans – a winner for the broadcasters and sponsors.
“With this particular World Cup, we think we have a fantastic chance because India playing at home is a tough side to beat,” Rakesh Patel, founder of the popular fan group Bharat Army, told AFP.
“And we think it’s our time to win a World Cup again.”
Supporters, who travel vast distances across India to watch their stars live, expect nothing short of a title win for the top-ranked team.
“We are very excited,” said Patel, who is travelling from London to see his team.
“Going into this World Cup, if you look at our performances against Australia and the recent Asia Cup, we have a batting line-up that is very well-settled.”
Indeed, Rohit has all his frontline players back and raring to go as the hosts look to repeat their 2011 success on home soil.
Rohit and Shubman Gill have formed a profitable opening partnership, with the inimitable Kohli waiting in the wings at No. 3. India also have players like Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav, who can come up with match-winning performances.
Their star-studded batting line-up is backed by a speedy pace attack led by Jasprit Bumrah, with left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav likely to provide the X-factor.
India could not have asked for a better build-up, steam rolling Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final last month, then beating Australia 2-1 in an ODI home series.
Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan told the industan Times: “India have a better chance of winning the World Cup. They are the home team, they know the wicket. But who knows, maybe there is an underdog!”
Muralitharan said spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will be “crucial for Team India”.
“I think (Rohit) will also do well. Another player to watch out for is (all-rounder) Hardik Pandya,” he added.
India’s national obsession with cricket began in 1983 when Kapil’s underdogs stunned the West Indies in the final at Lord’s. Suddenly the sport had many takers, including sponsors.
Twenty-eight years later, Dhoni’s winning six against Sri Lanka to win the crown at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium triggered a nationwide celebration in what turned out to be cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar’s last World Cup.
Spinner Harbhajan Singh said the night of that win remains the most special moment of his life, and he hopes for another Indian victory in this year’s final on Nov 19 in Ahmedabad.
But former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar felt India will have to overcome the pressure from millions of fans to come up trumps, and said a dream final would be against Pakistan.
“India will be playing in front of their crowd at home and the match will be broadcast around the world,” Akhtar told Star Sports.
“All this pressure will be on India, not on us. If India come out of this pressure to win the World Cup in India against Pakistan, then the galaxy is the limit for the Indian team.”
AFP, Indo-Asian News Service
