'....because of the IPL': West Indies legend's blunt reason for India's ICC trophy drought

An entire decade has passed since the Indian men's cricket team lifted its last ICC trophy. Cricket fans in the country have not seen the Men in Blue win an ICC title following the 2013 Champions Trophy victory under MS Dhoni's captaincy. Despite coming close to winning on multiple occasions, including the recent World Test Championship final, the Indian team has been unable to clinch a major title for the past 10 years. It remains a fact considering how India's BCCI financially dominates the game on the global stage.  

India played under modern-day great Virat Kohli's captaincy from 2017 to 2022 but failed to win an ICC title. As they look ahead to the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in October, fans in India are anticipating no less than a trophy from the Rohit Sharma-led side. 

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Clive Llyod's honest analysis of India's ICC trophy drought 

West Indies legend Clive Lloyd has made a poignant observation on India's struggles at ICC events. Since 2013, the Indian team has reached the finals of ICC tournaments a total of four times, namely the 2014 T20 World Cup, the 2017 Champions Trophy, and twice in the World Test Championship. India have also played up until the semi-finals in the 2015 and 2019 ODI World Cups, as well as the 2016 and 2022 T20 World Cups.

However, their performance hit an all-time low with a group-stage exit in the 2021 T20 World Cup. This is the same event, where India lost its first-ever World Cup game to Pakistan, an arch-rival in all facets, especially in cricket. Virat Kohli stepped down from T20I captaincy after the tournament. 

Lloyd, speaking to RevSports, said that India possesses a strong team capable of breaking the shackles and winning an ICC trophy soon. He highlighted that India's consistent appearances in the semi-finals and finals indicate a promising future for the side. With the Indian Premier League (IPL) contributing to the development of white-ball teams, Lloyd asserted that it is only a matter of time before India wins in a major tournament. 

“But you’re getting there. You’ve got to semifinals and finals and so on. You’ve qualified for multiple finals. I think the future could be very good for India because now, because of the IPL. There is every reason to believe you will have a very good 50-overs side. You’ve got a terrific Test side, and it’s just a matter of time before you win a big tournament. Things go in cycles, and it will work in the future, I’m sure,” Lloyd said.

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India's fixtures in 2023

India's next international fixtures commence on July 12 with two Tests against the West Indies, marking their initiation into the third cycle of the World Test Championship. The series also includes three ODIs, serving as vital preparation for the World Cup, and five T20 Internationals. India will then play host Ireland for three T20Is before going to Sri Lanka for the 50-over Asia Cup. The 2023 ODI World Cup is scheduled to be held in India from October 5 to November 19. 

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