Twelve years ago, when India won the ODI World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium, a young Virat Kohli lifted Sachin Tendulkar over his shoulders while the team embarked on a victory lap.
It being Tendulkar’s last World Cup campaign, the team paid a fitting tribute to the legend by winning the title. And, as the tournament returns to India, Virender Sehwag - one of the prominent members of the batch of 2011 - believes that the Indian team should put its best foot forward and clinch the title for Kohli.
“We played that World Cup (in 2011) for Tendulkar. If we won the World Cup, it would have been a great exit for Sachin paaji. Virat Kohli is the same now. Everybody will look to win the World Cup for him. He always gives more than 100 percent,” Sehwag said on Tuesday at the tournament schedule launch event.
“I think Virat is also looking forward to this World Cup. 100,000 people will watch you at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and Virat knows how the pitches will behave. I am sure he will score a lot of runs and he will do his best to win the World Cup for India,” Sehwag said, adding that India, Pakistan, Australia and England are his favourites for the semifinals.
“Everybody wants to look forward to that India-Pakistan game. So even I am,” Sehwag said, referring to the much-awaited clash between the archrivals, to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 15. The venue, which boasts of a seating capacity of 132,000, is expected to be sold out, and even though India holds the edge, Sehwag said, “I’m not sure what will happen that day, but the team that handles pressure well will win.
“I feel that now India handles the pressure that is why they win whereas Pakistan have a burden that they haven’t won against India. In the 1990s, they were good at dealing with pressure but after 2000, India soaked it better. If any player says that they don’t feel pressure, I don’t think it’s right. We used to say it too but at the end of the day, we know it’s an India versus Pakistan game and emotions run high,” the former India international said.
The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team will begin its campaign against Australia in Chennai on October 8, before heading to Delhi for its second game against Afghanistan.
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