Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag on Tuesday heaped praise on former skipper Virat Kohli and compared his stature to that of none other than the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
Speaking at the launch of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 schedule, Sehwag said the entire Indian team will be looking to win the tournament for Kohli just like they did it for Tendulkar when MS Dhoni's team lifted the prestigious trophy in 2011 in India.
"We played the 2011 World Cup for Sachin Tendulkar. If we won the World Cup, it would have been a great exit for Sachin paaji. Virat Kohli is the same now.
"Everybody will look to win this World Cup for Virat Kohli. Whenever he plays, he gives more than 100 per cent," Sehwag said at the press conference.
Expectations will be high from Kohli in this WC as he will be the batting mainstay along with captain Rohit Sharma and Sehwag is confident that he will score a lot of runs for India in the tournament.
"I am sure Virat Kohli will score good runs and win the World Cup for India," Sehwag said.
India's schedule & tournament details
India will begin their World Cup campaign against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on October 8. They will be playing 9 games in their campaign, including the blockbuster clash against Pakistan on October 15 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
A total of 10 teams will participate at the showcase event, the first eight having already qualified through the Cricket World Cup Super League. The final two spots will be determined at the end of the Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe, which concludes on July 9.
Each team plays the other nine in a round robin format with the top four qualifying for the knockout stage and semi-finals.