The cricket extravaganza is about to kick off as the ODI World Cup is just a few days away. The warm-up games have started and the cricket fever has started to kick in. With 10 teams locking horns with each other for the ultimate title in World Cricket and a country of 1.4 billion people hosting the World Cup, cricket fans are in for a ride and they will witness madness unfold in a way that has never been seen before. There are multiple contenders to lift the World title but who will actually lift the title? Let’s take a look at four firm favourites for the Ultimate Crown.
1. India
India Squads
Indian team under the stewardship of Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma has performed exceptionally well in recent times. Their recent Asia Cup victory is one of the prime testimonies to their increasing chances of lifting the title. The return of some key players after a long time who were out because of injuries has given the Men in Blue a great opportunity to become the World Champions once again.
The form of Indian batters in recent times has been extraordinary with the likes of Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Suryakumar Yadav firing on all cylinders. Their recent exploits in the Asia Cup and the ODI series against Australia will give the team a lot of confidence.
Talking about the bowling unit, Jasprit Bumrah’s comeback has sharpened the striking abilities of the Indian team. Kuldeep Yadav has regained his confidence and he showed what he can do in the Asia Cup. Siraj’s fiery spell is a warning to every other team that he is ready to put the stage on fire. A well-balanced Indian side is among the firm favourites to lift the title.
2. Australia
Australia Squads
Talking about world tournaments? Well, you can never count the Australians out. The Aussies have seen a dip in their form recently but whenever there is a big stage the Aussies know how to steal the show.
With in-form David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Marnus Labuschagne, and Glenn Maxwell their batting lineup looks well settled and ready to fire. The all-round options of Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Marsh, and Cameron Green make the Kangaroos one of the most balanced sides in the tournament.
The pace trio of skipper Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc along with Adam Zampa make up a formidable bowling lineup. The Australian side has a lot of IPL experience and reaching India early and playing an ODI series will help them to acclimatize better than other sides. The Kangaroos are coming for their sixth ODI World Cup title and it will be difficult to stop the Aussie Juggernaut.
3. England
England Squads
Any lineup of favorites for a global tournament in limited overs format cannot be completed without England on it. Their adventurous brand of cricket has given them the results and they won’t be looking to tinker with it.
They have an explosive batting lineup which consists of Johnny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, and Joss Buttler is enough to intimidate any opposition. Almost every player in this batting lineup has been among runs which makes this English side very threatening.
One of the key assets of this England side is their all-round abilities. Their all-rounders like Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Liam Livingstone, and Chris Woakes give a lot of flexibility and options to Jos Buttler to adapt to any situation.
Mark Wood, Reece Topley, Adil Rashid, David Willey, Chris Woakes, and Sam Curran are a roster of bowlers that is capable of dominating any batting lineup. English side under the leadership of Jos Buttler, who has already won a world title, will be among the main contenders in this World Cup.
4. South Africa
South Africa Squads
The Proteas are ready to surprise everyone. They have been under the radar for a long time but they have formed a solid team under the leadership of Temba Bavuma. One of the traits that will differentiate them from others is their fighting spirit and zeal to thrive under pressure. They exhibited their belligerent attitude recently against Australia in the ODI series when they were trailing after losing the first two matches but made a brilliant comeback to dominate the Australians and win the series ultimately.
Their batting lineup has come back to form with Aiden Markram, David Miller, and Heinrich Klassen being the mainstays. Their bowling unit is second to none. Though they will miss Anrich Nortje still they have a lot of firepower in their bowling department. Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, and Marco Jansen form a threatening fast bowling combination along with options of spin such as Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj.
South Africans have experienced a lot of heartbreaks in World tournaments but this time their campaign in India can end their drought as they have less burden of expectations but a side competent enough to overpower any opposition.