International Cricket

Having Hardik Pandya fit, Eoin Morgan Praises India All-Rounder ahead of ODI World Cup

Team India will open their World Cup campaign against Australia on October 8 in Chennai.

Cricket PassionEditor

Posted - Sep 17, 2023, 11:44 pm 2023-09-17T23:44:03+06:00

Updated - Sep 17, 2023, 11:44 pm 2023-09-17T23:44:03+06:00

Talking about the Cricket World Cup, which will be played in India from October 5, former England captain Eoin Morgan said that the fit Hardik Pandya makes Team India a strong contender in the main competition.

Former international cricketer Kumar Sangakkara and Eoin Morgan have picked India as favorites to win the ODI World Cup in home conditions. Team India will be one of the favorites to win the World Cup in India as they have a formidable squad that can perform well in home conditions.

Hardik was part of the Indian cricket team in the 2023 Asia Cup. He performed well in all three departments - batting, bowling and fielding. The best thing for India was certainly Hardik's fitness.

“Hardik Pandya’s fitness level, his ability to bowl. He hasn't bowled much in the Asian Cup so far, but he's bowled really, really well and there are very few teams in the tournament that would be real contenders and have someone."

"Who can bat and bowl in the top six. It’s the old Ben Stokes role that we’ve had with England for years,” Morgan said.

Kumar Sangakkara believes England and India will be among the favorites to win the World Cup in India, highlighting the Men in Blue's performance at the Asia Cup 2023 where they put in a dominant performance against formidable opponents.

He also believes the team would have a good chance if they made it to the knockout stages of the World Cup.
Former New Zealand seamer Simon Doull also echoed Morgan's views and said that the combination of Hardik, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja could prove really fruitful for the World Cup hosts.

“I agree with Morgan on the Hardik Pandya issue. When he is fit and full of energy, you have people like Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja, they are very good,” said Doull.

The 2023 ODI World Cup begins on October 5 with the opening match between defending champions England and New Zealand in Ahmedabad.

Team India will open its campaign against Australia on October 8 in Chennai. The Rohit Sharma-led team will take on their arch-rivals Pakistan on October 14 in Ahmedabad.