The 2023 ICC Men’s World Cup Final has arrived, and India will host Australia in a dazzling decider at Narendra Modi Stadium!
It’s sure to be an occasion to savour, with a huge crowd expected and both teams boasting stars aplenty.
Draftstars has put up a whopping $15,000 for the main contest, so check out our full preview with fantasy tips below.
2023 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup Final Fantasy Tips
Australia vs India
India Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj
Australia Predicted XI: David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
India are the hot favourites to claim a third World Cup crown after breezing past all opposition to reach this point. The host nation have won 10 games on the bounce, and their best was on display in the semi-final against New Zealand, resulting in a 70-run victory. Virat Kohli (117 off 113 balls), Shreyas Iyer (105 off 70), Shubman Gill (80 off 66) and Rohit Sharma (47 off 29) all ensured that India posted an imposing total of 397 in a narrative that has become commonplace throughout this World Cup. Indeed, the aforementioned players have been key to India’s success, with Kohli topping the run scorer charts for the tournament. Despite some resistance from the Black Caps, India eventually ran out comfortable winners, with Mohammed Shami taking seven wickets in an imperious performance, cementing himself as the premier bowler of the campaign. While those men were the standouts in the semi, every single player has made a valuable contribution at some point during the tournament, positioning India as the clear team to beat on Sunday.
While Australia will be the underdogs in Ahmedabad, their performances throughout the World Cup have also been impressive. After early losses against India and South Africa, the Aussies went on to win eight games straight, taking down the Proteas in a tense semi-final on Thursday. For most of the tournament it’s been spin to win for Australia in the middle overs, but the quicks finally made their mark in Kolkata, reducing South Africa to 4/24 and eventually dismissing them for 212. Mitchell Starc (3/34) and Josh Hazlewood (2/12) were at their unplayable best, and Travis Head put his hand up to bowl in the Final with 2/21. David Warner and Adam Zampa have been Australia’s two most consistent performers, but a team effort will be required on Sunday to topple India’s supremely talented XI.
Draftstars Tips
Love It – Rohit Sharma $16,900
Rohit Sharma is my pick of the Indian batsmen at under $17k, thanks to his recent form and history against Australia. The powerful opener has averaged 95 DFS points in this World Cup, dropping below 68 just twice. Furthermore, he averages nearly 60 runs against Australia in ODIs, which bodes well for his returns on Sunday.
Love It- Kuldeep Yadav $14,300
Similar to the reasoning behind my Maharaj recommendation from Thursday’s semi-final, Yadav should enjoy bowling against Australia’s spin-averse batting group in this Final, especially considering the pitch will likely favour the slower bowlers. Kuldeep has averaged 63 DFS points throughout the tournament, including a score of 80 against Australia in the opener, so he’s great value here.
Don’t Love It- Mitch Marsh $15,800
Marsh has been up and down in this tournament, a match winner one moment and a batsman out of form the next. Despite averaging 83 DFS points, he has topped that mark just twice in massive outings against Bangladesh and Pakistan. Marsh will face far stiffer opposition in this final, and I can’t see him justifying a near $16k price tag.
Don’t Love It- Pat Cummins $13,600
It’s hard to knock the captaincy of Pat Cummins throughout the 2023 World Cup, but his bowling has been average at best. Subsequently, the speedster has averaged 56 DFS points, a number propped up by batting and fielding contributions. While Cummins doesn’t command a premium price, I can’t see him performing effectively against India’s deep batting lineup.
Who Knows- Shreyas Iyer $18,700
Iyer has been India’s top batsman over the last couple of weeks, reeling off four consecutive 77+ scores with the stick. It’s an impressive form line that has translated into handsome fantasy returns, but the doubt here exists over Iyer’s history against Australia – he only averages 30 runs in ODIs against the Aussies.
Suggested Draftstars Lineup
