The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 is here. The organisers did well to take the last edition’s finalists and put them against each other in this edition’s first match. It will be the repeat of the last World Cup’s final at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad. We all know what an exciting game of cricket that was between England and New Zealand, probably the greatest final in the history of the World Cups.

Four years ago, the planets aligned for England as they went on to win the trophy after the game got tied and then went into the Super Over and then even that tied. England had made it to three finals before this one at Lord’s cricket ground and had lost all three. This time, they had luck riding on their ride. England winning the final of the 2019 edition provided a huge relief to the players, and the fan of Three Lions but much more to a certain Graham Gooch, who had featured in all the previous 3 finals which England had lost.

England have landed in India as the defending champions. A look at their squad tells you that they are one of the hot favourites to win the Cup. On the other hand, New Zealand will again be a dark horse. History tells other nine teams: New Zealand can never be counted out, irrespective of form.

Ben Stokes returning to the England squad has strengthened the side. His all-round ability is a massive plus. Stokes provides the much-needed balance to the playing XI. The experience of Stokes will be priceless. You need players in your team who have done this before, who know how to win the World Cups.

When you look at how England have been playing this format, right from the Eoin Morgan days, you know that they are going to play attacking cricket from the word go. How they achieve that while playing in India where conditions will change across venues will be exciting to watch.

In my view, in the game vs New Zealand, England hold a slight advantage. They have recently beaten New Zealand in the four-match series. England are a team in form. They have a strong team on paper, and they have men in form as well. But I still give the defending champions only a slight advantage over New Zealand because this is a World Cup match and historically, the Black Caps have stood out in the tournament.

It probably looks like Kane Williamson will not be playing vs England as the management does not want to risk playing him for all 100 overs in a match so soon after his recovery. It will be fascinating to see how the Williamson-less New Zealand do against the English.

At the same time, it is also true that Williamson is a player any team would want to have in their XI. He is a solid middle order batter, a brilliant leader, smart brain and a calm individual, all at once. New Zealand will hope the captain is back to full fitness as soon as possible.

The matchups are mouth-watering. Make no mistake about New Zealand’s bowling, they have got a world-class lineup ready. Trent Boult returns for the World Cup, Matt Henry plays this format well, Lockie Ferguson is sharp and fast. Mitchell Santner has got heaps of experience. Tom Latham, who will lead in the absence of Williamson, is not a bad captain at all.

Not to forget, many players from both the sides have played lot of cricket in India, all thanks to the Indian Premier League. So, the question of not knowing the conditions or taking time to get used to them should never arise.

It may well turn out to be a battle between England’s aggression with the bat against the quality of New Zealand’s bowling. There’s Jonny Bairstow who can smash them all over the park. Jos Buttler is a clean striker of the ball and let’s not forget about Harry Brook, who is in the form of his life.

I feel the players who have played IPL consistently will be helped immensely in this World Cup not just in getting acclimatised sooner with the weather and the conditions but also on travelling front. Most of the teams are playing more than 6 or 7 venues and flying frequently from one part of India to the other, something which is part and parcel in the IPL. The teams which can constantly travel and play cricket and still be fit by early November will increase their chances of qualifying for semis. Fitness will play a big role in deciding the winner of this World Cup.

Here’s hoping we get off to a cracker in Ahmedabad with England, New Zealand setting the stage on fire. Bring it on.