Blunt Statement of a Former Indian Player Before the World Cup 2023 on Team India
Former off-spinner of team India Harbhajan Singh doesn't feel the players will have an urge to win the 2023 World Cup for an individual. There has been a lot of talk about how India won the 2011 World Cup for the great Sachin Tendulkar and how he always seemed to be the focal point of inspiration.
However, Harbhajan claimed that the kind of respect that players from the 2011 squad had for Tendulkar is something probably no player can command. He believes the common goal would be to win it for the country and not for big stars like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who might be playing their final ODI World Cup.
Harbhajan Singh said that “there is a difference between the team of 2011 and the team of 2023. The 2011 team was united; everyone wanted to win it for Tendulkar. I don't know about the team in 2023. I doubt anyone would have earned the kind of respect that Tendulkar did. I am sure all the players now want to win the World Cup for the country, but I doubt if any of the players want to win it for a particular player."
He further said, “You play for India. I have played every match for India, not for any individual. This is a great satisfaction for me. Fans wanted to pray for my success. We all pray for India to win; we never pray for Kohli or Dravid to win; we pray for India to win."