Sri Lankas cricketing legend, Muttiah Muralitharan, has unveiled his favored teams for the highly anticipated ICC Mens Cricket World Cup, which kicks off on October 5 in India. In a recent interview with ANI, the iconic spinner weighed in on the top contenders for this years cricket extravaganza.The ODI World Cup is all set to commence with a mouthwatering showdown between the 2019 finalists, England and New Zealand, at Ahmedabads Narendra Modi Stadium on October 5. India, the host nation, will embark on their World Cup journey with a face-off against Australia in Chennai on October 8.Muralitharan, renowned for his unparalleled spin wizardry, opted that India holds a unique advantage in the tournament, primarily due to their formidable team and the significant benefit of playing on home turf. He also gave Australia a nod as a strong contender in the competition.“India enjoys a considerable advantage in this World Cup due to their exceptional squad and the support of a billion passionate fans. Playing on home turf with the positive energy of such a vast crowd gives a significant boost to the players. I believe they are the leading favorites, followed closely by Australia, England, and Pakistan. These are my top four picks”, Muralitharan stated.The cricketing legend emphasized the role of luck in winning major tournaments, pointing to Englands triumph in the 2019 World Cup as a prime example of how luck can sway outcomes.“Luck plays a crucial part, its indispensable. England won the last World Cup with a fair amount of luck, or else New Zealand would have emerged as the champions”, he added.Muralitharan also shed light on the expectations of fans and the dedication of players. He underlined the unwavering commitment with which players approach their careers, stressing their deep sense of responsibility for representing their respective nations and their relentless pursuit of victory.Turning to superstitions prevalent in the cricketing world, the former Sri Lankan spinner revealed intriguing and unusual things done by players during matches. When luck favored Sri Lanka, players adhered to peculiar traditions, such as wearing the same jersey that had brought them good fortune. Even if the need arose to use the restroom, players were encouraged to wait until the end of the over to maintain their winning momentum.
