Amidst the ongoing Asia Cup 2023, the Board Of Control For Cricket In India (BCCI) chief selector Ajit Agarkar alongside Rohit Sharma announced the 15-man squad for the ODI World Cup that begins in October. (More Cricket News)
Skipper Rohit and Agarkar stated that the selection of the squad was based on 'balance and depth' with the World Cup scheduled to be played in India. With the likes of Australia, England and New Zealand possessing a big tail, India don't possess the same trait. Rohit stressed on the fact that the Men In Blue do not carry the same and has been missing for the past few years.
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The 15-man squad sees four all-rounders and four pacers and seven quality batters.
However, 1983 World Cup winner and former selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth was not pleased with the selection of Shardul Thakur in the 15-man squad for the World Cup.
Srikkanth stated that Shardul's selection was pointless as the latter doesn't contribute much with the bat nor does he complete his full quota of overs.
"Everyone is saying we need a batter at No. 8...who needs a batter at No. 8? Shardul Thakur is only scoring 10 there and he doesn't even bowl for 10 overs. In the match against Nepal, how many overs did he bowl? 4 only. See, don't see performances against sides like West Indies or Zimbabwe. Yes if he performs well, then keep that in the back of your mind, but don't give importance to that. Instead stress on performances against teams like Australia or New Zealand. That is why I say, don't get fooled by overall averages, always look at individual matches," Srikkanth said during a discussion on Star Sports.
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On the cricketing front, India have qualified for the Super 4 in the Asia Cup 2023 and their next match is against Pakistan on Sunday, September 10.
