Cricket World Cup: Sachin Tendulkar Predicts the Four Semi-Finalists with India on top

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has gazed into his crystal ball and made his predictions for the four teams he believes will secure a spot in the semi-finals of the Cricket World Cup 2023, currently underway in India. Tendulkar, who carried the coveted trophy onto the pitch to inaugurate the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, shared his insights during an interview with the ICC, reminiscing about his own cricketing journey and the significance of the World Cup on home soil.

Speaking about the experience of carrying the World Cup trophy onto the field, Tendulkar said, “It was a surreal experience to carry that trophy out on the field. We ended up playing here, a quarter-final against Australia, and that night was a special night for us. To come back here, same stadium, 12 years down the line… Something nice has happened actually. Before 2011, no host nation had won the tournament. Post that, all home nations have won. India’s hosting, so, keeping those fingers crossed.”

When asked about India’s prospects in the tournament, Tendulkar expressed optimism, saying, “I hope so, because our team is playing good cricket, and if the team continues to keep things simple and stick to basics, they have the ammunition. We’ve got a strong batting lineup, a very good all-round bowling attack, we have good balance.”

However, the cricketing legend didn’t limit his predictions to India alone. He confidently named the four teams he believes will reach the semi-finals. “India without any doubt,” he said. “We have a very, very good, balanced team. So is the case with Australia, I feel they have a balanced team. The third one I would say would be England. England again are a very strong team, a combination of experience and some new faces. My fourth team would be New Zealand.”

Tendulkar’s prediction about New Zealand seems to be ringing true as the Black Caps started their campaign strongly, convincingly defeating England by nine wickets in the opening match of the World Cup. New Zealand’s impressive track record in world championships has also influenced Tendulkar’s choice.