NEW DELHI: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Thursday lauded the recent performances of the Indian team and is optimistic regarding India's chances in the upcoming ODI World Cup.
India wrapped up their World Cup preprations with a 2-1 series win against Australia at home.
Rohit Sharma and co. will enter the marquee tournament as the no.1 ODI side.
Ganguly believes India have a strong chance if they maintain their current level of 'good cricket' over the next 45 days.
"This is going to be a big World Cup. The World Cup is a big tournament. The team has been playing very well, so it is a matter of delight. We hope that they continue to play the same good cricket for the next 45 days," Ganguly told the reporters in Kolkata.
Many batters like Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul are back in the form right before the tournament.
Gill was in supreme touch during the ODI series against Australia as the opener amassed a total of 178 runs. After injury, Rahul and Iyer also made a fine comeback and scored centuries.
Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah, who made his return to the national side after a back injury almost a year ago, will play a crucial role for Men in Blue. His fitness and performances will be extremely crucial to India's World Cup chances.
Before starting their World Cup campaign, India will play two warm-up matches, the first of which will be played on Saturday against England at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, followed by a Netherlands clash on October 3 at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
India will start their World Cup campaign with a clash against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on October 8.
The high-voltage clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan will be held at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 14.
(With inputs from ANI)
