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ODI World Cup 2023: What could the probable squad for India look like?
The ODI World Cup 2023 is just a few days away with India all set to host the marquee event. The opening game will be played on October 5 and will be a rematch of the previous edition’s final between England and New Zealand. The game will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad which is the largest cricket stadium in the world. The same stadium will also host the final on November 19.
As such, Australia has already named their preliminary 18-member squad for the ODI World Cup. All other teams will be looking forward to making their final selection calls. Here is a first look at what team India’s squad for the marquee cricket tournament could look like.
Openers – Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, and Ishan Kishan (wk)
Ishan Kishan in 3rd ODI against West Indies (Source – Twitter)
For the opening options, the skipper Rohit Sharma is a natural choice. He has looked in form in the recent Test series against West Indies. Shubman Gill although has not fired too well in the ongoing series has a terrific record in India and can be expected to regain his form. Ishan Kishan, lastly, has been the find of the tour for India, Kishan has shined in the opening role solving one of the many problems for the team. Not to forget, he can also keep the wickets and could be a backup option behind the wickets.
Batters – Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk) and Suryakumar Yadav
Virat Kohli after smashing a hundred against West Indies (Source – Twitter)
Here is where the problem begins. Virat Kohli is an easy choice; he is the star player and is in tremendous form. But both Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul are in the recovery phase of their respective injuries. They have started batting practice with Rahul also doing wicketkeeping drills at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. However, both their selection will depend on their match fitness, the upcoming Asia Cup could be a good indicator. Finally, Suryakumar Yadav can be kept as another choice. However, his ODI numbers are really poor.
Allrounders – Hardik Pandya, Shardul Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel
Hardik Pandya (Source – Twitter)
India is blessed when it comes to their allrounder choices. In this probable squad, we’ve kept it simple with two pace bowling allrounders and two spin bowling allrounders. Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur have already proved that they are capable of in the limited-overs games in the current tour of West Indies. At the same time, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel’s prowess is well known, they performed admirably in the Tests.
Spinner – Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep Yadav vs WI, 1st ODI (Image Source: Twitter)
With the consistency Kuldeep Yadav has shown in the ongoing tour, it will be hard to leave him out. He is the perfect pure wrist spinner to have on the team. Axar and Jadeja can always help out with handy overs.
Pacers – Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami
Jasprit Bumrah, India (Image Source: Twitter)
When it comes to pacers, it is an easy choice because Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami have mostly been the mainstay for India. However, the third option is a little gloomy. Jasprit Burmah has been out since September 2022. But he is reported to make his comeback in the T20I series against Ireland. If he is fit, he is the first name in the pace contingent.
Reserve Players – Mukesh Kumar, Sanju Samson and Yuzvendra Chahal
Sanju Samson, India (Source: Twitter)
For the reserve players picking one batter, one spinner and one pacer seems like the logical choice. Mukesh Kumar has been impressive in the initial days of his international career. As such, he is a great option to keep in reserves. Yuzvendra Chahal’s profile is similar, he is mostly a T20 bowler but his spin can be handy at times when Kuldeep Yadav needs to be rested. Finally, Sanju Samson who has not yet been consistent when given chances can be kept as an option. He is talented undeniably and can impact the game if he capitalises on his chances.