Top 5 players who can help their team win the Cricket World Cup

With the Cricket World Cup just less than a month away, the predictions as to who will be the eventual winners have started. Hosting the world cup jointly, Australia and New Zeland can count on home advantage to perform well in this year’s edition. South Africa can also be expected to do well if their form in the ongoing ODI series against West Indies is anything to go by.Although the conditions will be totally different to the subcontinent, you still cannot rule out Sri Lanka’s and India’s chances to progress into the latter stages of the tournament.Here are five players who will be crucial if their respective teams are to do well in the World Cup:

#1 Virat Kohli

Although India lost the recently concluded Test series against Australia, Virat Kohli showed why is he considered as the future of Indian cricket. Scoring 692 runs at an average of 86.50, he has answered all his critics who had started to question him after the England tour.

And if India are to do well in the World Cup, Kohli will have to perform in the same way as in the Test series. Given his ability to dictate the tempo of the game in the middle overs and his tendency to score big while chasing, he could prove to be the lynchpin in India’s quest to defend their title.

#2 AB de Villiers

He can bat, he can keep wickets and he can save you runs in the field with his brilliant fielding. If that’s not enough, he can also score the fastest hundred in ODIs. Yes, he is none other than AB de Villiers.

The 30-year-old has been nothing short of phenomenal for South Africa over the last few years. With his unorthodox style of batting and shots that defy all conventional cricketing logic, de Villiers has been leaving bowlers dumbfounded around the world.

This can be the year when South Africa finally get rid of the “chokers” tag and if they do so, expect de Villiers to be the man leading from the front.

#3 David Warner

Standing at a modest 1.71m, David Warner does not look the most intimidating figure outside the cricket field. But once on the cricket field, he can send shivers down the spine of even the best bowlers in the world.

Known for his brutal and disdainful treatment of bowlers, Warner can be counted upon to provide a brisk start to the Australian team, along with opening partner Aaron Finch, which can act as a solid foundation for the rest of the middle order to build upon. He has scored 1690 runs from 52 ODIs at an average of 33.13 and a strike-rate of 85.13, and he’ll definitely be looking to improve on his ODI record during the coming World Cup.

#4 Angelo Mathews

There is something about Sri Lanka and ICC tournaments. Irrespective of their form leading up to the tournament, they always find a way to excel in them. This time, Angelo Mathews holds the key if they are to excel once again. Coming on the back of a terrific season, Mathews has emerged as a key component of Sri Lanka’s success across all formats to his credit.

With his ability to bowl at any stage of an innings coupled with his newly matured batting, Mathews finally seems to be turning into the all-rounder that he so often promised. If he gets into the groove during the marquee event, you can safely expect Sri Lanka to be a serious title contender once again.

#5 Chris Gayle

Considered one of the dark horses of the tournament by former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, West Indies can spring a surprise or two if the big-hitting Chris Gayle can fire on all cylinders. When on song, there is absolutely no one in world cricket who would like to bowl to him.

And if the recent T20s in South Africa are any indication to go by, Gayle seems to be getting back to his destructive best. With Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo surprisingly not selected for the World Cup, the onus of seeing West Indies through to the latter stages lies on Gayle’s broad shoulders.