Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly feels the Virat Kohli-led India side has got what it takes to go all the way in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.
Team India are the defending champions but will have to be at their best to become only the second team after Australia to defend their crown.
The Men in Blue, under former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, had won the last edition of the tournament quite comprehensively and are one of the hot favourites to lift the coveted title once again.
However, Ganguly, while admitting that the team is a strong contender for the trophy, said that Virat Kohli’s men will have their task cut out in the upcoming tournament as there are quite a few number of teams which are strong contenders for the mini World Cup. Ganguly, who had led India to the Champions Trophy title in 2002, also said that conditions will be playing a big role in England.
“I believe Virat Kohli has the team to win the ICC Champions Trophy. Although it’s too early to say, it’s just the start of the tournament. There are a lot of good teams this time. England has a good side, South Africa is good, Australia is good, and also the conditions will matter. I believe India has a chance. It will depend on how they play,” Ganguly told India Today.
The former batsman further said that the ability of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin to contribute with the bat will allow India to go in with five bowlers before predicting that there would be a toss up between Hardik Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
“India has the advantage of Jadeja and Pandya, they are all-rounders. Jadeja can do a good job with the bat, Ashwin can bat and will be back after a long layoff so he will be fresh. India is very balanced. But I think India will play with five bowlers. Jadeja has been good with the bat of late, three fast bowlers and Ashwin-Jadeja. Whether they pick Bhuvi or they pick Hardik Pandya, will depend on how they bowl and perform in their warm-up matches,” he said.
Virat Kohli, who was appointed the limited-overs skipper earlier this year, will be leading the Men in Blue for the first time in an ICC tournament and his very assignment is something that he would have wished to avoid. India will begin their title defence against arch-rivals Pakistan on June 4 in Edgbaston. And although Kohli has said that the match will like any other game for his team, players from either side know that a lot will be at stake.
Ganguly also said that the Indo-Pak clash is a pressure match before backing Team India to come on top.
“It’s a pressure game, the captains know that, and they get used to it. Every game will be pressure, India-Pakistan, India-South Africa, India-Sri Lanka because these are all must-win games. Virat has been in an India-Pakistan game, he got a hundred in the World Cup in Australia in the first game of the tournament. He won’t react any differently but he will prepare,” he said.
“I firmly believe that the reason India has had the better of Pakistan over the last ten years is that they have been a better side. They have handled situations better. The last Pakistan team that competed, which actually could have given India sleepless nights was the 2003 team with Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar, Inzamam. They were a remarkable side, but since then Pakistan hasn’t been the best side in the world of the cricket arena,” Ganguly added.