ICC World Cup 2023, India vs England: Top five players to watch out for
The unbeaten hosts may attempt to go to the knockout stages, while defending champions England merely need to overcome India to keep their semifinal ambitions alive
Team India (Photo/ANI)
LUCKNOW: Two cricketing giants - India and England are set to go square off in the highly anticipated World Cup clash at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday.
The unbeaten hosts may attempt to go to the knockout stages, while defending champions England merely need to overcome India to keep their semifinal ambitions alive.
The hosts are undefeated after five games and on their way to the semi-finals, while England is towards the bottom of the standings on net run rate and all but out of the competition. Here are the top 5 players to watch out for in the clash between two giant rivals.
Mohammed Shami
The India pacer was forced to stand aside as the hosts began their campaign with four convincing victories. Shami made the most of his opportunity when he was brought into the team in place of the injured Hardik Pandya, taking 5/54 in a top-of-the-table game with New Zealand.
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is in fantastic form and has batted wonderfully in this tournament. He has demonstrated his abilities as an ODI specialist, especially in matches against Pakistan and Bangladesh. His continuous World Cup performances have been outstanding, giving him an important player to watch out for in the encounter against defending champions England.
Ben Stokes
Stokes hinted at another spectacular comeback by guiding England from 68/3 to 137/8 against Sri Lanka, but despite scoring 43 runs, he ultimately lacked the form and fitness to change the game again. With England's chances of reaching the knockout stages dwindling with each round, the match against hosts India is the ideal - and possibly final - opportunity for another Stokes special in this tournament.
Jasprit Bumrah
India’s leading bowler Jasprit Bumrah with tremendous pace and bowling expertise put him at the head of India's bowling attack, and he has continuously shown his superiority, offering a dangerous challenge to Blackcaps in the upcoming match on Sunday.
Joe Root
Joe Root has 175 runs in 5 games with an average of 35.0 Root hit two fifties and a maximum score of 82. As a result, he will be an excellent choice in England's playing 11 against India.