The Favorites to Win The 2023 Icc Men’s Cricket World Cup

The cricket fever is rising among the fandom as the mega event is about to begin. Fans worldwide are gearing up for the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023. As we all know this event is organized at an interval of four years. The last ICC World Cup was held in 2019 and England won the title under the captainship of Eoin Morgan. So, who is going to be the title champion this year? Let us check our favorites before we delve deeper into the world of Cricket Fantasy.

The ICC Men’s World Cup 2023

The ICC Men’s ODI World Cup is the biggest event of cricket we all wait for. It was started in 1975 and has developed a rich course of memories for four decades. The defending giants in the 70s were the West Indies. India proved to be a formidable team when it won the title in 1983 under the captaincy of Kapil Dev. Australia has won this title four times. Every ICC World Cup event is full of emotions and thrills. The participating teams are chosen based on their four-year performances. This time, ten teams have been chosen to play against each other in this mega event. They will all face each other in the Round Robin stage. The thrilling matches will begin on 5th October 2023. The final is scheduled to happen on 19th November 2023. The ten venues are all top-class cricket stadiums in different cities in India. This time, India is hosting the World Cup matches solo.

Favorites of The ICC Men’s World Cup 2023

All the chosen teams will have to announce their squads by the end of 28 September for the approval of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Here are the details of the team of our favorites up until now.

India

India is often regarded as one of the strongest cricketing nations. They are always a top contender with a rich cricketing history and a talented pool of players. Led by experienced captain and boasting a mix of young talents and seasoned campaigners, India’s batting depth and bowling prowess make them formidable. The new Indian squad comprises:

1. Rohit Sharma (Captain)
2. Hardik Pandya (Vice-captain)
3. Virat Kohli
4. Shubman Gill
5. Suryakumar Yadav
6. Shreyas Iyer
7. Ishan Kishan
8. KL Rahul
9. Ravindra Jadeja
10. Ravichandran Ashwin
11. Mohd. Siraj
12. Shardul Thakur
13. Kuldeep Yadav
14. Mohd. Shami
15. Jasprit Bumrah

Pakistan

Pakistan has a history of upsetting the odds and winning major tournaments. They have a talented squad, especially when it comes to fast bowlers. If their batters perform consistently, they could be a real threat. The team comprises:

1. Babar Azam (c)
2. Mohammad Rizwan
3. Saud Shakeel
4. Shadab Khan
5. Imam-ul-Ha
6. Fakhar Zaman
7. Abdullah Shafiqueq
8. Haris Rauf
9. Salman Ali Agha
10. Shaheen Afridi
11. Iftikhar Ahmed
12. Hasan Ali
13. Mohammad Wasim
14. Usama Mir 
15. Mohammad Nawaz

Australia

Australia is another cricket powerhouse, having won the World Cup four times. Their competitive spirit and a history of success make them strong contenders. They have a strong pace attack and a reliable batting lineup. Here is the team for this event.

1. Pat Cummins (c)
2. Steve Smith
3. Josh Inglis
4. Alex Carey
5. Sean Abbott
6. Travis Head
7. Mitch Marsh
8. Adam Zampa
9. Ashton Agar
10. Cameron Green
11. Josh Hazlewood
12. Mitchell Starc
13. Glenn Maxwell
14. Marcus Stoinis
15. David Warne

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is yet to disclose the 15-member squad for this major cricket event. It has sparked mystery among the fantasy cricket fans.

England

The defending champion, England, won the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2019 and has continued to perform at a high level. Known for their aggressive and innovative style of play, they have a strong team with a balanced mix of batting and bowling talent.

1. Jos Buttler (c)
2. Jonny Bairstow
3. Liam Livingstone
4. Sam Curran
5. Ben Stokes
6. Moeen Ali
7. Gus Atkinson
8. Reece Topley
9. Dawid Malan
10. David Willey
11. Mark Wood
12. Joe Root
13. Chris Woakes.
14. Adil Rashid
15. Harry Brook

New Zealand

The Black Caps have consistently been competitive in ICC tournaments and reached the final of the 2019 World Cup. With a well-rounded team and exceptional leadership, they can never be counted out. The New Zealand team is:

1. Kane Williamson (c)
2. Devon Conway
3. Lockie Ferguson
4. Jimmy Neesham
5. Trent Boult
6. Mark Chapman
7. Glenn Phillips
8. Matt Henry
9. Rachin Ravindra
10. Tim Southee
11. Will Young.
12. Tom Latham
13. Daryl Mitchell
14. Mitch Santner
15. Ish Sodhi

South Africa

South Africa has often been considered a strong team but has faced challenges in closing out tournaments. However, they have the talent and experience to make a deep run. The team has:

1. Temba Bavuma (c)
2. Reeza Hendricks
3. Gerald Coetzee
4. Quinton de Kock
5. Marco Jansen
6. Aiden Markram
7. Heinrich Klaasen
8. Keshav Maharaj
9. David Miller
10. Tabraiz Shamsi
11. Rassie van der Dussen
12. Kagiso Rabada
13. Lungi Ngidi
14. Andile Phehlukwayo
15. Lizaad Williams

Previous records of ICC World Cups

Considering the previous records, Afghanistan has reached the group stages but has yet to make it to the major matches and knockouts. On the other hand, Bangladesh has reached the quarter-final, its highest feat in this event. The Netherlands also was unable to cross the group stage. Prominent contenders such as South Africa have reached the semi-finals multiple times but failed to reach the finals. New Zealand has been the runner-up team once. England won the last event in 2019. Australia has won this title five times in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2015. India won this title twice, in 1983 and 2011. Pakistan won it in 1992. Sri Lanka won this title in 1996. Surprisingly, the two-time winner West Indies could not make it to the list this time. So, the highest title winner is Australia. Its current ODI ranking is 3, whereas Pakistan is in the 2nd place. India has recently played more matches than these two teams and holds the first position on this list.

Who is going to win?

The odds are on the side of India as the hosting nation. Its current ODI ranking is quite convincing, but it depends on how the chosen players perform on the field. Let us keep our fingers crossed and find out what our favorites will do in this world-class event. Find out more about the teams chosen for this mega event and mark your calendar. The time for cricket action is close. Gather your buddies and family to enjoy this event.