"Pitch will be prepared according to India" - Virender Sehwag claims ICC will help Rohit Sharma and Co. in World Cup 2023

Virender Sehwag believes that the International Cricket Council (ICC) will help Team India in the upcoming World Cup 2023 by preparing pitches that favor the Men in Blue.

The former India opener claimed that the ICC would want India to go ahead in the tournament, given that it would result in a monetary gain for the board. Sehwag opined that Rohit Sharma and Co. are likely to get surfaces that would give them an advantage in the knockout games.

In a video shared by Cricbuzz on YouTube, the cricketer-turned-commentator remarked (11:15):

"The ICC will also help India. The wickets will be prepared by Indian groundsmen. When India play the semi-final or the final, the pitch will be prepared according to India. So, I feel we have a very good chance to win the World Cup. The ICC knows that if India stay till the end, they will benefit immensely in terms of viewership and sponsorships."

During the discussion, Sehwag further predicted that Virat Kohli could be India's top performer with the bat at the showpiece event. He suggested that the seasoned campaigner will want to contribute significantly, considering that it could potentially be his last ODI World Cup, adding (14:28):

"Virat Kohli is hungry to score runs. I don't see that same hunger in any other batter. He would be thinking that Rohit Sharma hit five centuries in the last World Cup, so this time it could be his World Cup. He is a big-match player. If he isn't there for the next World Cup, he would surely want to make this one memorable for his fans."

Notably, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin are the only two players in India's 15-member squad who were part of the 2011 World Cup-winning squad. While Kohli is 34 years old, he is supremely fit, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he features in the 2027 edition of the ODI World Cup as well.

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"A lot of batters won't be able to pick him" - Virender Sehwag on Kuldeep Yadav

Speaking in the same video (18:28), Virender Sehwag underlined how India's left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav has showcased tremendous form on the road to the World Cup 2023.

Backing Kuldeep to continue his impressive run, he predicted that a lot of batters would struggle against the crafty spinner. On this, he added:

"In the kind of form that Kuldeep Yadav is in, I think a lot of batters won't be able to pick him, and he will pick a lot of wickets. There will be spin-friendly wickets in India. Looking at the spinners from other teams, I don't think there is anyone who can make the same kind of impact."

With 33 wickets from 16 innings, Kuldeep Yadav is the leading wicket-taker for India in ODIs this year. He is expected to be a pivotal cog for the Rohit Sharma-led side on the spin-friendly tracks in the forthcoming ICC event.