Back in 1983, India was placed in the same group as the West Indies and Australia. At that point in time, these two teams were the strongest forces in world cricket. Thus, many expected India to be steamrolled in the group stages itself. But Kapil Dev and his daredevils had other thoughts. Out of the 8 games that they played in the tournament, they won 6 and miraculously clinched the title.
The team had to wait for another 28 years for them to cross the final hurdle once again. In between, there have been several upsets. India got into the semi-finals in 1987 and 1996. They were the runners up in 2003. But took a special feat from MS Dhoni and his men to take the team over the line amidst high pressure eight years later, Joy erupted all over and this is one of the most memorable moments in the history of Indian cricket.
While the team was expected to defend the title in 2015, they were bogged down by several issues even before the tournament. Senior players were either retired or were axed from the side. Even though the batting seemed good enough, no one had enough belief in the bowlers. Moreover, Dhoni announced retirement from Tests just a few months ago and it wasn’t great in the practice matches either. But the bowlers were terrific and picked up all the 10 wickets in every match except for the semis and that’s where the dreams ended.
The Oldest Team to Represent the Nation at the World Cup
Now, after another four-year-long wait, India enters into the World Cup as the hot favorites. No other Indian team in the history has been as balanced heading into the mega event. With an average age of 29.5, this is the oldest side to represent the country and has got loads of experience. They have been winning games all over the world and have got their eyes firmly set on the title.
India begins the quest with the first game against South Africa. They will play Australia and New Zeland next that will be followed by the game against arch-rivals Pakistan. Another team from the subcontinent, Afghanistan, will be the next opponent. India will be playing the last four games against Windies, England, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Fixtures
Team India Men’s World Cup 2019 Squad
Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma (VC), Shikhar Dhawan, Vijay Shankar, KL Rahul, MS Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami.