'Mandir wahin banne waala hai', says former cricketer Venkatesh Prasad

In a candid Q&A session on his social media platform, former Indian cricket team fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad shared a glimpse into his thoughts on both spiritual and sporting matters, leaving fans intrigued.

When prompted about his predictions for 2024, Prasad offered a cryptic reference to the ongoing construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. Responding with assurance, he wrote, "Mandir wahin banne waala hai" (The temple is going to be made there), hinting at the upcoming consecration ceremony scheduled for January 22.

Switching gears to cricket, Prasad dissected India's tumultuous 2023 in international cricket, led by Rohit Sharma. The cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted India's dominating performance during the World Cup on home soil but lamented their ultimate defeat in the final against Australia. Prasad also expressed disappointment over India's loss in the World Test Championship (WTC) final to the same opponents.

Amidst the highs and lows of India's cricketing journey, a fan raised the question of whether the Indian team has become the "new chokers of world cricket." Prasad, acknowledging the team's recent accomplishments, especially back-to-back Test series wins in Australia, dismissed the "chokers" label. However, he couldn't ignore the lingering concerns about India's failure to secure an ICC title for over a decade.

In response to a fan query, Prasad stated, "Chokers not, we have won 2 Test series against Australia in Australia, the last one in 2020-21 after 36 all out, I consider as one of India's greatest, especially with more than half first-choice players missing. But there is certainly something not right about not winning any major tournament in 11 years."