Aakash Chopra has made a prediction that in the upcoming ODI World Cup scheduled for October 5 to November 19, 2023, in India, Kuldeep Yadav, the Indian left-arm wrist-spinner, could emerge as the top wicket-taker.
Notably, in the past three ODI World Cups, left-arm pacers like Zaheer Khan (21 wickets) in 2011 and Mitchell Starc in 2015 (22 wickets) and 2019 (27 wickets) have held the leading wicket-taker positions.
During a discussion on his YouTube channel at the 3:45 mark, Chopra expressed his view that a spinner, specifically India’s Kuldeep, might claim the top wicket-taker title in the 2023 World Cup.
“I believe that leg-spinners will thrive in the tournament, and among them, the world’s finest leg-spinner should be on that list. It will be fascinating to observe how Rohit Sharma utilizes Kuldeep Yadav. Initially, he’ll deploy him during the middle overs, possibly even beyond the 40-over mark, where he might get to bowl 2-3 overs,” Chopra explained.
The 46-year-old commentator went on to express that Kuldeep is most effective when batsmen take an attacking approach against him. “When you attack him, you must read the ball from Kuldeep’s hand. If you fail to connect properly, you might end up giving a catch to a fielder. Kuldeep Yadav has the potential to be among the top wicket-takers, possibly even the leading wicket-taker,” Chopra concluded.