"We Will Win Champions Trophy": Ex-India Coach's Bold Prediction. Explains Reason
With both teams through to semi-finals, India will face New Zealand on Sunday in the final Group A match, which will determine the top two standings.
Former India cricketer and coach Lalchand Rajput is confident that the Indian team will lift the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy for the first time since 2013 because the team is performing in unison and ticking all the boxes. Indian players have performed in harmony in the ongoing marquee event. The Rohit Sharma-led side exuded dominance over Bangladesh and bamboozled arch-rival Pakistan to extend their unbeaten streak in the tournament. The star-studded batters have been firing on all cylinders, and the bowling unit has stuck to consistency, leading to India's back-to-back triumphs in Dubai.
Skipper Rohit slammed a century against England during the buildup to the tournament. His deputy, Shubman Gill, began the tournament with a blistering unbetan 101(129) against Bangladesh, while Shreyas Iyer has thrived on consistency in the middle overs, summing up India's in-form batting unit.
"I have got no doubt that we will win this time the Champions Trophy because of the way they are playing; the team camaraderie is very good, all the boxes have been ticked because batters are in form, Gill is in form, Rohit has got a hundred against England, now Virat got a hundred, you see Shreyas Iyer is in good nick," Rajput told ANI.
With the ball, Mohammed Shami dismantled Bangladesh's batting unit with a five-wicket haul. Young Harshit Rana has expressed his knack for picking up wickets, especially in the middle. 'Chinaman' spinner Kuldeep Yadav found his groove with a three-wicket haul in the high-voltage clash against Pakistan.
"Bowling-wise, we have got two good spinners, Jadeja and Axar. Medium pacers, I think Shami is bowling well; then, Rana is doing well as well, and the best part is, the only worry was Kuldeep Yadav's form, and in the last match, he got three wickets. So, I think overall, we have got all the boxes ticked. The best thing is that we are playing as one unit, and that winning momentum will take us to the final," he added.
Among India's stellar performers with the bat, Virat's form was the talk of the town, especially after his rusty 22(38) in the tournament opener. He silenced his doubters and critics by roaring back to form with a swashbuckling 100*, which sent the defending champions, Pakistan, towards the exit door.
His record-extending 51st ODI century served as a reminder to everyone why he is highly regarded as the 'Chase Master' of modern-day cricket. He scouted a flawless route to India's victory and implemented it perfectly to ensure India chased down 242 total without breaking a sweat.
"First of all, I am very happy that we have won both the games and more happier that Virat Kohli has got a 100. That is important because everybody was talking about him. he was not among the runs, but I am really happy the way he batted, the aggression, the running middle in the wicket he showed superb, and I am really happy that he has got his another 100 while chasing," he said.
"I think big match players...these players have been playing for so many years, they know it, they want a big platform, and these players are big match platform players, and I think India-Pakistan was the biggest match all over the world, people watched it, and he has proved again that he is one of the best players in the world," he added.
With both teams through to semi-finals, India will face New Zealand on Sunday in the final Group A match, which will determine the top two standings.
"I think every game is important because I don't think any coach will take it lightly because we want to win every game, and I am sure they will take this game also seriously and they would like to win and be on top of the league," he said.
With the Indian team sending nostalgia to its fans by putting their formidable performance on exhibition, Lalchand singled out New Zealand as the team that poses a threat to the last edition finalists' supremacy. New Zealand and India have encountered each other once in the Champions Trophy, and the Kiwis emerged victorious in that affair.
"I think the only team that can be tough is New Zealand because they have always done well against us in the ICC Champions Trophies and ICC Trophies, and they have done well against us in the home series as well. So that thing will be in the back of our minds, but that is different Test cricket; this is one-day cricket, so I am sure we will always be positive on that aspect," he concluded.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
India Cricket Team
Rohit Sharma
Virat Kohli