Former Indian cricketer and World Cup hero Suresh Raina has made a bold prediction for the semifinalists of the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023. Suresh Raina, who is one of the most loved cricketers, is known for his intuitive cricketing insights. He shared his thoughts regarding the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023 at the inaugural edition of TOI’s ‘Right to Excellence – Sports Summit 2023’.
Interacting with the media, Raina shared his views about the teams he believes are the strong contenders to lift the coveted ICC trophy.
Suresh Raina Predicts The Semifinalists Of ODI World Cup 2023
The ODI World Cup 2023 is just around the corner, slated to begin on October 5, and it has generated immense excitement among cricket enthusiasts worldwide. Raina, who played an instrumental role in India’s limited-overs cricket history, said that he considers India, Australia, England, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan as the contenders for the World Cup. He also expressed his hope for India to register victories in both the ongoing Asia Cup, where team India will take on Sri Lanka in the final clash and the upcoming World Cup. Raina said:
“The last time we hosted the World Cup in India, we won it. And hopefully, we do it again. My best wishes to Rohit Sharma and the team. Just go out there and express yourself and go for the trophy,”
Suresh Raina on India’s opponent in the final:
It has to be noted that the Indian cricket team hasn’t performed well in the ICC tournaments. In fact, it has been more than a decade since the team last won an ICC trophy – the Champions Trophy under MS Dhoni in 2013. Ever since then, the Indian cricket team has come really close to winning the tournaments but has failed to do so.
India’s performances in knockout games have been a major worry but Suresh Raina believes the team can beat any side if it manages to qualify for the final in the upcoming World Cup. He said:
“Koi bhi aaye, dekh lenge (whosoever is there, we will handle),”
