3 overseas players who will be a threat to India's chances at the World Cup

Kane Willamson can be a dangerous player for India

England is all set to host the ICC World Cup next year in May. For the first time, the tournament has been reduced to a 10-team affair. India, who failed to defend the title in 2015, will be looking to bring home the trophy after 8 years. With the kind of dominance in recent times, the Virat Kohli-led team look clear favourites to win the trophy.

The only way India can lose their plot in the World Cup is if they allow a few opposition players to win the matches for their teams single-handedly. India managed to ward-off Mahela Jayawardane's singular effort in the final of the 2011 World Cup and they will hope to do the same if these 3 players put up a fight against them.


#1 Kane Williamson

Kane Willamson can be a dangerous player for India

The New Zealand captain showed a different side to him in the 2018 edition of IPL where he scored a lot of runs at a quick strike-rate to take his team close to the trophy. He led his team well and they fell short by a small margin in the finals. Although Kane has been a terrific Test player, he has started to construct good innings in the limited overs format only recently.

The one aspect of the Kiwi captain which differentiates him from others is that his performance is rarely affected by other players in the team. In many matches, he has single-handedly won games for his team and India need to be wary of that. Having been a part of the same team as Bhuvi and Dhawan in the IPL, Williamson can devise a plan to counter these players which can help the Kiwis get on top of India.

India will look to use Williamson's discomfort against the spin-bowlers to get him out early.

#2 Jos Butler

Jos Butler will be crucial to England's chances
Jos Butler will be crucial to England's chances

England has not seen a player like Jos Butler who has had a phenomenal rise in international cricket in such a short span of time. Jos had gone on to represent England only in T20Is but is now a regular in the Test team squad. He has been a revelation the IPL too which will help him against the Indians.

Be it opening the batting or playing the role of a finisher, Butler has immense talent to take the game away from the opposition. Together with his wicket-keeping skills, he is an asset to any team. After becoming the top-scorer for England in the Test series against India, Jos Butler will be England's trump card against the Indian team.

Having played Bumrah and Bhuvaneshwar very often, the English wicket-keeper will look to use this advantage against India.

#3 Kagiso Rabada

Kagiso Rabada will be the lead bowler for the Proteas
Kagiso Rabada will be the lead bowler for the Proteas

With the departure of AB de Villiers from international cricket, the South African cricket team will look for the other players to step up if they have to lay their hands on the World Cup for the first time ever. Kagiso Rabada topped the ICC bowling charts until recently and he will lead South Africa's pace attack at the World Cup.

Although he has little experience in the IPL, Rabada has fared well against the Indian team in the recent times. His fiery pace and swinging deliveries have troubled the Indian batsmen in the past. With the Indian team heavily reliant on the top order, Rabada will be a threat if the Indian team do not prepare against him.

If the match comes down to the wire while South Africa are chasing, Rabada can be useful with the bat too. Hence, the Indian team has to be wary of this youngster if they have to defeat South Africa.

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