Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, a stalwart of Team India, offered his frank evaluation of the national squad’s decade-long trophy drought in ICC events leading up to the highly anticipated 2023 ODI World Cup. Undeniably, the Men in Blue have encountered difficulties during the knockout stages of ICC tournaments over the past ten years.
It is worth noting that their most recent triumph occurred under the guidance of former captain MS Dhoni, when they secured the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013. Since then, they have suffered premature exits on three occasions in the T20 World Cup (2014, 2016, 2022), twice in the ODI World Cup (2015, 2019), twice in the WTC finals (2021, 2023), and once in the Champions Trophy in 2017.
Their most recent defeat in an ICC event unfolded against Australia in the World Test Championship final of 2021-23 at The Oval in London, prolonging the trophy drought to nearly a decade. In response to this disheartening outcome, the seasoned spinner Ravichandran Ashwin provided an unambiguous reaction, branding it ‘absurd’.
“Without a doubt, the entire social media sphere will be buzzing with speculation about whether India will finally clinch an ICC trophy. We have been perpetually immersed in this narrative for numerous years now, consistently pondering, ‘Will India be able to put an end to their ICC Trophy drought?’ If you ask me, this is utterly preposterous, my friends,” Ashwin expressed on his YouTube channel.
Ashwin further emphasized that Team India is typically perceived as the favorites, and the upcoming World Cup will be no exception. He asserted that every team possesses an equal opportunity in ICC events and reiterated that the Men in Blue will ‘commence’ as the favorites in the monumental ICC tournament scheduled to transpire in October-November.
“India is an indomitable team. Barring a few factors, India possesses a tremendous chance this time around. In fact, we entered the 2019 World Cup as strong favorites. Nevertheless, all teams have equal prospects in every ICC event. If you inquire from me, any cricket match commences on a 50:50 basis. However, India certainly does begin as the favorites leading up to this 2023 World Cup,” Ashwin added.
