“If he was playing, I would straightaway say India are real favorites” - Kris Srikkanth on player India would miss most in World Cup 2023

Former India cricketer Kris Srikkanth reckons the Men in Blue would have been firm favorites to win World Cup 2023 if explosive keeper-batter Rishabh Pant was fit.

While Pant has not been ruled out of the ICC event, he's all set to miss the World Cup in India. The 25-year-old was involved in a horrific car crash in December last year and has been missing from action since.

India have struggled in the keeping department in Pant’s absence. They have tried out Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul and Sanju Samson in the limited-overs formats and KS Bharat in Tests.

Discussing Team India’s chances of winning the World Cup at home, after the schedule for the event was announced on Tuesday (June 27), Srikkanth opined that Pant’s absence leaves a gaping hole in the team. He told India Today:

“We don’t know the real truth about Rishabh Pant. If he was playing, I would straightaway say India are the real favorites. But Pant’s fitness is obviously questionable.

"Nobody knows how fit will he be before the World Cup. I doubt it, and a lot of people doubt, if he is going to play the 2023 World Cup. Otherwise, Rishabh Pant factor would have been very crucial.”

The 1983 World Cup-winning opener, though, asserted that India have a good blend of young and experienced players to pick from when selecting the 2023 World Cup squad:

“Even Ishan Kishan, if he makes it to the team, he could be a dangerous cricketer. I believe Ishan Kishan is going to be a good player. I believe that guys like KL Rahul should be back in the middle order. He will be fantastic.

You have Rohit Sharma opening, Shubman Gill and King Kohli, who is fantastic in this format and has been doing well. He’s been in form, so I believe India has got the capabilities of winning the World Cup," he added.

India haven’t won an ICC event in a decade since MS Dhoni led them to victory in the 2013 Champions Trophy.

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“Shubman Gill is here to stay” - Kris Srikkanth

Asked if he's looking forward to performances from any of the Indian youngsters from the current lot, Srikkanth picked in-form opener Shubman Gill as one to keep a close eye on. The former player said:

“Shubman Gill is here to stay. He has been having a fantastic run from 2022. From January 2023, it has been a golden year for him, be it Test cricket, one-day cricket or T20 cricket. He’s got a double hundred in one-day cricket; you’ve got to understand that.

“That guy knows what it is; he knows how to pace himself. The way he paces his innings is extraordinary,” Srikkanth concluded.

Gill was part of the Indian team that lost the World Test Championship 2023 final to Australia at The Oval. He had a poor game, registering scores of 13 and 18.