The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 has taken flight, with the defending champions England facing off against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday.
As the cricketing world eagerly anticipates the unfolding drama of the grand ICC event, it’s not just the fans who are voicing their opinions. Esteemed veteran cricketers like Eoin Morgan, Adam Gilchrist and Dale Steyn weighed in on their predictions for the probable semi-finalists and finalists.
Adding his insight to the mix, another cricketing legend, Anil Kumble, has shared his thoughts on who he believes could be the four probable semi-finalists. The former Indian spinner, who also served as the head coach of the Indian cricket team, recently participated in a rapidf-ire round on ESPNcricinfo, where he revealed his picks for the potential semi-finalists.
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Anil Kumble’s pick for the semi-finals
In Anil Kumble’s astute prediction for the ODI World Cup 2023 semi-finalists, he placed his confidence in the perennial contenders: India, England, Australia and New Zealand.
It’s worth noting that these same formidable teams clinched semi-final spots in the 2019 tournament edition. The Bangalore-born cricketer’s foresight hinged on the intriguing possibility of history repeating itself, setting the stage for another thrilling semi-final showdown.
Dream opening pair
When questioned about his dream opening ODI pair, the 52-year-old cricketing luminary didn’t hesitate to name Indian captain Rohit Sharma and the explosive Australian batter David Warner.
Rohit has 10,112 runs to his name in 251 ODIs. He recently became the second-fastest batter to score 10,000 runs in ODI format. Warner, on the other hand, has amassed 6,397 runs in 150 ODI matches.