Kumar Sangakkara hints on favourites to win 2023 ODI World Cup

With the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup on the horizon, Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara listed his reason why certain heavyweight sides will have an edge over the subcontinental teams in the event. The 50-over marquee event is tentatively scheduled to be held in the months of October and November in India. 

Speaking in a show on Star Sports, the former Sri Lanka skipper who led the side to the summit clash of the 2011 ODI World Cup opined that the demands of the sport have changed since 2011. He further added that the overseas nations will have an edge as they have adapted to playing in the Asian subcontinent thereby helping them learn the art of play spin considering that the pitches in India are spin-friendly.

"I think cricket has changed quite a lot since 2011, in those days I would say that in Asian conditions, it favoured the subcontinental players. But over the years I think that England, Australia, New Zealand have learned to play spin a lot better than even the subcontinental sides,” told Sangakkara on the show.

IPL has helped a lot in terms of exposure: Kumar Sangakkara

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has provided a platform for not just the local players but also the overseas players to garner experience and exposure to play in the Indian conditions. This in turn has helped them perform exceedingly well for their respective national sides in the global ICC events. Sangakkara also stated that the top-tier league has helped the players play a variety of shots and get the required kind of exposure to deal in the ICC events.

"You see a lot of reverse sweeps, paddle shots, and sweeps, all of these new strokes using their feet. I think that has revolutionized the way we look at cricket in the subcontinent. IPL has helped a lot in terms of exposure as well,” added the former Lankan Lions skipper.

All teams participating in the month-long mega event later this year, have already begun ideating plans and experimenting with their squads. The teams will look to find their core just in time for the event to compete for the coveted title.

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