ICC World Cup 2019 | Gautam Gambhir names Australia as his favourite team for the title
Gautam Gambhir has picked Australia as his favourite side for the upcoming World Cup in England and Wales, starting May 30 and has said that the defending champions should play the final. Gambhir has also named India and England as his second joint-favourites for the quadrennial event.
Gambhir played a crucial knock in the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka and carried the team to the brink of a scintillating win after which, MS Dhoni sealed the game. As the 2019 edition is around the corner, Gambhir has picked England and India as his second joint-favourite for the World Cup and has said that either of the two teams will lock horns with his favourite side for the tournament – Australia in the final. Â
“Australia are my first favourite. They should definitely play the final and their opposition in the final will be between two of my joint second-favourite teams, England and India,” Gambhir was quoted in an exclusive interview with TOI.
On asked about England being named as the second joint-favourite, Gambhir said, “Not because England are playing at home. Of late they are an improved side, having quality cricketers in almost all the positions. They are balanced. With Jofra Archer, England will be a force to reckon with. They are blessed with four genuine all-rounders, of which mentions should be made of Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali.”
Gambhir was a part of the 2007 and 2011 Indian side that won the World T20 and 50 over World Cup respectively. The southpaw knows what it takes to build a champion side and have tasted enormous success as captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders unit in the Indian Premier League.Â
When questioned about the ingredients needed to build a champion side, Gambhir said, “First of all, self-belief. Everyone in the team should have the confidence that they can win the Cup. Then, to perform consistently. Planning and implementation is also very important. And on top of it, the team should have a happy dressing room. Everyone should know about the minute details of the problems and their solutions. If any team can tick all of these boxes, they have a better chance of winning the World Cup."