Team India's ODI World Cup 2023 squad is set to be announced today as per reports, The Board Of Control For Cricket In India (BCCI) selection committee chief Ajit Agarkar reportedly flew to Sri Lanka to hold discussions with the team coach Rahul Dravid and skipper Rohit Sharma and finalise the squad.
Apart from few exclusions, the team should be the same as from the Asia Cup 2023 that the BCCI recently announced. With ODI World Cup only allowing 15-member squad, there seems to be no room for wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson whereas fit-again KL Rahul could be drafted in.
Suryakumar Yadav too has found a place in the squad despite his less than satisfactory outings in the ODIs.
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Suryakumar could not get going in the ODIs against West Indies (July-August), making just 78 runs from three matches averaging 26.
However, the team management felt that the Mumbaikar can add further meat to the middle-order.
In batting apart from skipper Rohit, players like Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer were automatic picks. Hence, Tilak Varma will have to sit out for the moment.
Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami will handle the pace department along with all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur.
So, Prasidh Krishna, who is part of the India squad for the Asia Cup, will not be featured in the World Cup squad.
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The spin unit will be led by left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who has been in fine fettle this year.
Kuldeep is India's highest wicket-taker in ODIs in 2023, taking 22 wickets in 11 matches. Kuldeep and Ravindra Jadeja will be India's two first-choice spinners.
This will be the second World Cup for Kuldeep as he had played 7 matches for India in the 2019 World Cup, picking up 6 wickets in England.
The selectors and the management thought deeply about the third spinner and zeroed in on left-arm spinner Axar Patel, whom they thought will also give a bit more depth in batting if needed.
In that context, veterans R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal, who had plucked 12 wickets from 8 matches in the 2019 World Cup, will miss the cut.
India's provisional squad for World Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Axar Patel, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav.
(With PTI inputs)
