Former England captain and commentator Eoin Morgan has picked the Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team as his favorite to clinch the coveted trophy in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. Eoin Morgan mentioned that two Indian cricket teams can be selected without losing competitiveness.
The Indian team is one of the strong contenders for the title in the ongoing biggest tournament. The Men in Blue were eliminated after a semi-final defeat against England in the last edition of the T20 World Cup in Australia. Notably, the Indian team has failed to win the trophy since its victory in the 2007 edition.
The inaugural champions began their campaign with a victory against Ireland at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Saturday, June 9. The Indian team defeated the opposing team by 96 runs in 16 overs. They pursued the target with eight wickets and 46 balls to spare.
The Rohit Sharma-led team will take on arch-rivals Pakistan in their next match in New York on Sunday. The Men in Blue will increase their chances of reaching the Super 8 stages of the prestigious tournament. They are currently second in the Group A table with two points and a net run rate (NRR) of +3.065.
My favorites are India – Eoin Morgan
Speaking to Sky Sports, Eoin Morgan expressed his belief that India is the favorite team in the ongoing tournament. The World Cup-winning captain said India could even field two competitive teams.
“For me, the favorites are India. They are very, very strong. I think they probably could have picked two teams and still been competitive with both,” Morgan told Sky Sports.
Excited to see Shivam Dube on the world stage – Eoin Morgan
Eoin Morgan stated that he is excited to see Shivam Dube on the world stage, particularly highlighting his hitting power for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Morgan said Dube has improved his performance against fast players of late.
“I am excited to see Shivam Dube on the world stage. In the last few years in a Chennai Supper Kings jersey, batting in the middle order with the immense power that he has, and I think now it is an extra string to his bow. It is how he bowls fast. He has six and four-hit options when he first comes in. So again, for different reasons, I’m left-handed and I’m looking forward to seeing a young and exciting player watching him play. big favorite,” added Morgan.
Shivam Dube has shown impressive batting prowess for the Chennai Super Kings. Dube has scored 1103 runs at an average of 34.47 and a strike rate of 159.16, including eight half-centuries. The left-hander can contribute as a bowling all-rounder alongside Hardik Pandya in the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup.
Dube has also taken eight wickets in 21 T20 internationals at an average of 45 with an economy rate of 9.86.
Also Read: IND vs PAK: “Pakistan will have to play World Cup qualifiers”: Shoaib Akhtar’s shocking verdict on Babar Azam’s team