India, one of the most accomplished nations in cricket, won their second ODI World Cup in 2011, after defeating Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in a memorable final. Since then, the Indian team hasn’t laid their hands on the coveted trophy, but they can change their fortunes once more, with the quadrennial spectacle returning to their shores after 12 years.
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The ODI World Cup winning team of India from 2011, is heralded as one of the greatest of all times in cricket history. Now, the question arises, can the Indian cricket team for the upcoming quadrennial spectacle manage to eclipse their predecessors in 2023?
To better answer this question, SportsTiger compares India’s ODI World Cup 2011 final-winning team with the potential ODI World Cup 2023 playing XI.
Openers
2011: Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar
Virender Sehwag, one of the most feared opening batters of his time, lived up to his billing in the ODI World Cup 2011, providing swashbuckling starts to India in almost every match of the tournament. His opening partner, the Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar was the second highest run scorer in the quadrennial spectacle, to help the national team put big totals on the board regularly.
2023: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill
Heading into the ODI World Cup 2023, the Indian captain Rohit Sharma has taken up the mantle to accelerate the rate of scoring in the powerplay in the 50 overs format, at the cost of losing his wicket earlier than he used to, in the recent past. Shubman Gill, his opening partner, has been one of the top scores in ODI cricket, notching up centuries for fun.
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Middle Order
2011: Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli
Gautam Gambhir was a consistent performer for India in the ODI World Cup 2011 until his match-defining innings in the final against Sri Lanka. Virat Kohli, the young cricketing upstart at that time, played one of the most important innings of his international career in the same match, right after Sachin Tendulkar’s dismissal engulfed the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to a pin-drop silence.
2023: Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer
After 12 years of winning the ODI World Cup, Virat Kohli has turned into one of the greatest batters of all time in the 50 overs format and is expected to be the talisman for India in the flagship tournament. Shreyas Iyer has been struggling with injuries in the build-up to the ODI World Cup 2023, but regardless, his consistency at No. 4 for India in the format can’t be understated.
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Wicket-keeper
2011: MS Dhoni (c)
MS Dhoni, the multi-time ICC trophy-winning captain for India, was at the peak of his powers as the leader and wicket-keeper of the team in the ODI World Cup 2011. But, it was his six off Nuwan Kulasekara on the night of the final, which is forever edged in the memory of every cricket fan worldwide.
2023: KL Rahul
KL Rahul has been a revelation for India in the 50 overs format at the No. 5 slot in the last few years, taking up the role of accumulator and accelerator as per the match situation. In the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023, he is expected to control the Indian batting in the middle overs, while fulfilling the key responsibility of keeping behind the stumps.
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All-rounders
2011: Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina
Yuvraj Singh was the player of the tournament in the ODI World Cup 2011, as his all-round performance with the bat, ball, and the field helped India lift the coveted trophy for the second time in history. Suresh Raina didn’t play all the matches in the flagship tournament 12 years ago, but his quick-fire 30 against Australia in the quarter-final, during a tricky run chase, helped India knock out the reigning three-time world champions from the tournament.
2023: Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja
Hardik Pandya has been a steady performer for India in the all-rounder’s role for years in the 50 overs format, which is something the team management will be hoping to see him replicate in the ODI World Cup 2023. Ravindra Jadeja, an ever-present all-round cricketer in the Indian ODI setup, has been struggling for form with the bat in recent times, but he makes up for his shortcomings as a batter, with the ball and in the field.
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Bowlers
2011: Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, S Sreesanth, Munaf Patel
Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan were the two top bowlers for India in the ODI World Cup 2011 and played an instrumental role in helping the team bring the coveted trophy home for the second time in history. They were ably supported by the likes of S Sreesanth and Munaf Patel, with important wickets at important times.
2023: Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
In the ODI World Cup 2023, Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah will have to be in the top wicket-takers list for India, to give them the best chance of winning the flagship tournament. Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj could play the role of support cast for the Indian cricket team in the quadrennial spectacle, to back up the main bowlers to the best of their ability.
