Eoin Morgan Backs “Strongest Side” India As Favourites For T20 World Cup 2024

May 28, 2024 0 783

Former England captain Eoin Morgan called India the strongest team for the T20 World Cup 2024, praising their depth and quality.

Former England captain Eoin Morgan has declared India the “strongest side” heading into the T20 World Cup 2024, which kicks off later this week. Speaking on Sky Sports Cricket alongside former England captains Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain, Morgan praised the country’s depth, suggesting they pose a significant threat to any opponent.

“The strongest side, even with injuries throughout the tournament, is India, without a doubt. Their strength and depth is absolutely incredible at the moment. And it’s almost like we’re talking about the quality of players who even missed out on their squad of 15 because of the quality that they possess,” said Morgan, as quoted by News18.

“They are favourites for me. I think that with the quality they have on paper, if they produce it, I think they can beat anybody quite well in the tournament,” added Morgan.

Meanwhile, Atherton highlighted India’s lack of T20 World Cup victories since their triumph in the inaugural edition in 2007. He noted the growth of T20 cricket in the country after that win under MS Dhoni’s leadership, including the establishment of the IPL, yet the team remains with just one title.

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“They haven’t won it since that first World Cup back in 2007. That’s the great irony. That’s how long it’s been. It’s also an irony because everybody talks about the IPL and how that has improved India’s T20 cricket. The irony is the only time they’ve won it was pre-IPL,” Atherton remarked.

For the unreserved, the first group of Indian players arrived in the USA on Monday, having departed Mumbai on Saturday night with a layover in Dubai. Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and reserves Shubman Gill and Khaleel Ahmed have touched down in New York, with the remaining players expected to join them soon.

Led by Rohit Sharma, the nation will begin its campaign against Ireland on June 5th in New York, USA. They are placed in Group A alongside Ireland, the host nation- USA, Canada, and arch-rivals Pakistan.