ICC World Cup 2019: India go in as the best bowling side, says former India manager

Former India opener Lalchand Rajput believes the Virat Kohli-led side has the best bowling attack among the 10 teams to take part in the upcoming World Cup, making it one of the favourites for the 50-over showpiece event.

“I think India has got best bowling attack and we have got a very well balanced team. We have got very good all-rounders and if we look at any other team, India is best equipped for that,” Rajput, who is also the mentor of Triumph Knights Mumbai North East, said here on Sunday.

“….And if it is a good day our team, it is very difficult to beat them. And Hardik (Pandya) is a great X-factor in the team and (Ravindra) Jadeja who can get going at the lower order, so overall I think we have got a very good chance and I think we should be in the top four,” added Rajput, who is now Zimbabwe’s coach.

India begin their campaign against South Africa at Southampton on June 5.

Rajput, who was the team’s cricket-manager when India lifted the inaugural T20 held in South Africa in 2007, feels that this team has the a heavy top three in Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and skipper Kohli.

Asked about the similarities between the World Cup winning 2007 side and the current team, Rajput said, “As I said, there are lot of all-rounders, all-rounders makes lot of difference and I think we have got good all-rounders, the strikers as well, we got a very heavy top three (batsmen) and that’s very important.”

“Earlier also there was (Virender) Sehwag, Sachin (Tendulkar), now we have got Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit (Sharma) and Virat (Kohli) and then we have got the X-factor, somebody can really bang like a Hardik Pandya, (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni as usual a great finisher, so we have got a very well balanced team,” said the former Afghanistan coach.

Rajput heaped praise on the ongoing T20 Mumbai League saying it will only grow.