Last time Kuldeep Yadav had visited England, he was an absolute revelation. Kuldeep had England on the mat in the Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) and the first One-Day International (ODI) with his sensational performances. He had taken his career-best figures in both T20Is and ODIs on the last tour to fully establish himself as the spin spearhead in the limited-overs team. Since then, Kuldeep had continued to impress.
He is now gearing up for the biggest challenge in his short career so far – the ICC World Cup. Kuldeep will be crucial to India’s chances this summer as the country eyes its third World Cup. The left-arm spinner has already become one of the best in business and will be keen to leave his mark in the tournament. And as the tournament inches closer, Kuldeep has revealed the names of the team to watch out for other than India.
Kuldeep has picked Pakistan and England as the other two favourites to win the competition.
England and India, currently ranked number one and two in ODIs, have been the popular favourites to win the competition. Pakistan, on the other hand, are the dark horses. The Men in Green have struggled in recent times but their knack of picking up at the right time like the 2017 Champions Trophy make them the team to watch out for.
Kuldeep further said he feels confident about the Indian team lifting their third World Cup trophy.
“We definitely have the chance to bring the World Cup home. Apart from us I think all the other teams are really strong. But I feel England has a strong batting lineup as compared to the other teams. They will be playing in home conditions.
“I think Pakistan will also perform well in the World Cup looking at the way they have been performing. So I think England and Pakistan will be the ones to watch out for,” Kuldeep Yadav told Sports Tak.
Meanwhile, England will take on South Africa in the opener on May 30, 2019, at The Oval in London. The tournament will last for 45 days with 48 matches to be played. India will start their campaign against the Proteas on June 5. The format for the 2019 edition will see 10 best teams in the world going head-to-head in a round-robin format. The tournament will culminate with the final at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground on July 14.