India will be eyeing to end their 10-year ICC trophy drought as they prepare for the much-anticipated ODI World Cup 2023 in October. However, the Men in Blue are grappling with a number of injury concerns, with key players like Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah being sidelined. Notably, Bumrah has been out of action since September 2022 due to a back injury, for which he underwent surgery. He is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, and fans are eagerly waiting for his possible return for the mega tournament. Perhaps one important clue about Bumrah’s fitness has come from his teammate and veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
The World Cup 2023 fixtures were recently unveiled, with India’s clash against Pakistan on October 15 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad being the main attraction. In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin mentioned that both Jasprit Bumrah and the legendary Krishna are expected to regain fitness in time for the World Cup.
“The recent encounters between India and Pakistan in ICC events have been nothing short of extraordinary. I believe we can expect another sensational India-Pakistan match,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“This game is expected to be a draw, as Pakistan also have a strong pace attack. For India, we are hopeful of the return of Bumrah, and possibly of Famous as well. Although I am unsure about the final combination, But it promises to be an exciting contest,” he added.
“Let’s discuss the match against Pakistan in Ahmedabad on October 15. Undoubtedly, with a capacity of 130,000 spectators at the Narendra Modi Stadium, it will be a sell-out affair. Even during the 2011 World Cup, Ahmedabad holds good memories for us. At that time, this place was known as Motera Stadium, where we played and won over Australia in the quarter-finals. It took us to the semi-finals against Pakistan and eventually helped us win the World Cup, ” he added.