Ravi Ashwin labels India as firm favourites to win World Cup this year, shares reason for this

Two-time winnersIndia will enter the 2023 home World Cup as firm favourites, says ace Test spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. It was in 2011 when India last won the 50-over World Cup under MS Dhoni’s captaincy and since then the Men in Blue managed to win just one more ICC trophy – 2013 Champions Trophy in England. Looking to end their trophy drought at home this time, India will come with all guns blazing when the tournament kicks-off in October this year. While speaking on his YouTube channel, Ravi Ashwin explained as to why the hosts will remain ahead of everyone else in the race for the title.

India has had a wonderful record at home since the 2019 World Cup in England. Not only have they defeated every touring country across formats, they did that in some style – winning matches by huge margins. Their win percentage at home is sky rocketing while their confidence is over the roof too. Citing this as one of the biggest reasons alongside playing at different venues throughout the year, Ashwin rates India’s chances of lifting the 50-over World Cup yet again very high.

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"India’s ODI home record ever since the 2019 World Cup finished is extremely impressive. India have won against every team that’s travelled to India in this space, which are the West Indies, Australia, England, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. India’s home record is 14-4 in this space, which is a 78 to 80 percent win record in India. All 18 of these ODIs have happened in different venues every single time (14 venues). If you have to compare the same spree with Australia or England, the venues are pretty stock standard. They play all their Test matches at 4-5 venues, the ODIs at 2-3 venues, and so they know their venues are the back of their hand," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

Ashwin, who was also part of MS Dhoni’s team that won the 2011 World Cup knows what its like to play and win in home conditions. Explaining that since India’s last WC win, every team has won its home World Cup – be it Australia in 2015 or England in 2019, Ashwin said, "India are going to be a bit of short-changedbecause of the different wickets at different venues."

"Since the 2011 World Cup, all teams have managed to win their home World Cup: India in 2011, Australia in 2015 and England in 2019. This is no rocket science, knowing your conditions is extremely important. However, for India, in this regard is going to be a bit of short-changed because of the number of venues we play these games in. Every single time you play in some of these venues the wickets are going to be different. India does not have a stock standard Test, ODI or T20I season. You don't know how the FTP is going to pan out but it gets hard from the team or player's perspective," Ashwin added.

India’s second-leading wicket-taker in Tests will return to action during the upcoming Border-Gavaskar trophy that begins on February 9th in Nagpur.

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