'You will need other players to step up...' - Former India cricketer makes fiery statement about India's 2023 World Cup chances

India ODI Team (Source: Twitter)

It can well be said that Indian Cricket is entering a transition phase and rightly so. After team India suffered a shocking exit from the 20-20 World Cup in Australia, the Indian Cricket Board has decided to build a team for the future, and this will mean phasing out senior men such as the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The board has fielded a young team for the Sri Lanka series against India and the 2023 ODI World Cup could be the last time the senior players play a big-ticket tournament.

India have not had a great time of late when it comes to the ODI format having suffered back-to-back ODI bilateral series defeats in the hands of New Zealand where they lost 1-0 and against Bangladesh where they lost 2-1. India’s ODI template has been questioned as to whether it is too old style and there has been a constant cry that the team needs to play ODI cricket more aggressively.

Some Tough decisions will have to made for the future- Kapil Dev

"If you want to win the World Cup, the coach, selectors, and team management will have to make some tough decisions. Personal interests will have to take a backseat and they will need to think about the team. Aap Virat pe, Rohit pe ya 2-3 players pe bhadosa karenge ki wo hume World Cup jeetayenge toh aisa kabhi bhi nahi ho sakta (If you think Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and 2-3 players will win us the World Cup then that's never going to happen). You should believe in your team. Do we have such a team? Definitely. Do we have certain match winners? Yes, of course! We have players who can win the World Cup," Kapil said to ABP News.

"There are always a couple of players who turn out to be the pillars of your side. The team revolves around them but we need to break that and build at least 5-6 players like that. That's why I say, you can't depend on Virat and Rohit. You need players who fulfil each of their responsibilities. The youngsters will need to come forward and say 'it is our time'," the 1983 World Cup winner said.

He also talked about the ODI World Cup being held in India for the first time since 2011 and this would give the Indian players a chance because they know the conditions inside out. He also said that the likes of Rohit and Virat need to work on their fitness to pip the youngsters for a spot in the team.