Indian cricket team, led by Virat Kohi, will be the favourite to lift next year's ODI World Cup in England, former opener Virender Sehwag avowed today.
With the Kohli-led Team India looking solid in batting and a formidable force in bowling, the two-time World Cup winner Sehwag also predicted that they would win their first overseas Test series when they tour Australia later this year.
"The kind of ODI team we have, we are favourites to win the 2019 World Cup. Don't you believe it? Absolutely (we are favourites)," Sehwag said during a promotional event.
The former swashbuckling India opener said India boast of a perfect combination in batting and bowling department, a luxury they never had in Sourav Ganguly era.
"This team has capability to win the Test series outside India with the kind of bowling and batting we have. We just missed to win the Test series in South Africa or else we could have created history."
"In our days, we had Srinath, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar and Ashish Nehra but these four never played together except in 2003. When we made the final as either one of them was injured. This team has lot more capability and can deliver in any conditions."
"It does not matter, if they are with the team or not. Even then we will win."
"We won two World Cups. But we got a lot of messages on that day (2007). We were a young team and a young captain. Nobody was expecting us to win the World Cup."
It was during a match in Zimbabwe that Sehwag had an upset stomach as he took a break and Sehwag got to see Chappell writing the email to Board outside the washroom
"It was near the washroom when I told Chappell about my upset stomach I saw him writing the email addressed to the BCCI. I did not get to see the content but I could reckon it was a very serious matter and informed Ganguly immediately."
"The moment I scored a hundred I was very happy. I hugged Ganguly many times. He was very humble and only captain to have sacrificed his place as opener for me in Tests."