With their eyes firmly fixed on the World Cup 2023, India has kick-started the preparation, starting from the ODIs vs WI. The marquee tournament, which will be hosted by India, commences from October 5. India boasts of a strong line-up and bench strength, with hopes that the injured stars make their return in time for the World Cup 2023.
Ahead of the World Cup 2023, we take a look at five players who are yet to cement a spot in the team. The five players include Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel. India have 11 ODIs to play before their World Cup 2023 campaign commences.
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1. Suryakumar Yadav
With just 452 runs to his name so far in 24 ODI games, Suryakumar Yadav has not perfectly fitted in the Indian middle order. Making things worse for SKY, his last six ODI scores read 19, 0, 0, 0, 14, 31. With the likes of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer yet to make a comeback from their injuries, Suryakumar Yadav faces a steep challenge to score runs and impress selectors in order to find a spot in India’s World Cup squad.
2. Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan has been in great form for India and is in strong contention for a spot in the World Cup 2023 squad. Having played 15 innings, the wicketkeeper-batsman has scored 562 runs, with four 50s to his name. If he continues to be consistent with the bat, Ishan Kishan will be a sure selection in India’s squad for World Cup 2023.
3. Sanju Samson
With lack of consistent chances to represent India in ODIs, Sanju Samson faces an uphill task to ensure his participation in the World Cup 2023. Having played just 11 ODIs for India so far, Sanju Samson has managed to amass 330 runs, with two 50s to his name.
Although there was outrage from fans over Sanju Samson’s exclusion from the 1st ODI vs WI, it looks like the combo of Rohit Sharm-Rahul Dravid are trying to mix things up, giving everyone some playtime before finalising their choices for the World Cup 2023. The 2nd ODI might be the chance for Sanju Samson to start off his journey to cement a spot in the World Cup squad, if he is included in the playing XI.
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4. Yuzvendra Chahal
A couple of years ago, Chahal was an automatic choice for India in the ODI format. However, the spinner has been overshadowed by performances from Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja, putting his spot in the Indian squad for World Cup 2023 at risk.
The experienced Chahal has picked up 121 wickets from 72 matches at an economy rate of 5.26. His last ODI appearance came in January earlier this year against New Zealand. Chahal’s hope of being included in the World Cup 2023 squad will hinge on his inclusion in the remainder of the ODIs before the start of the marquee tournament.
5. Axar Patel
Axar Patel is another all-rounder whose place in the Indian squad for the World Cup 2023 hangs in balance. India are currently riding on the stellar form of both Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya. This will make things more tough for Axar Patel, as the competition for slots in the World Cup squad increasing.
With the ball, Axar Patel has picked up 58 ODI wickets in 51 innings. With the bat, he has scored 412 runs. In his last ODI appearance in March, Axar Patel managed to pick up only 2 wickets in the three-match series against Australia.
With his exclusion from the 1st ODI vs WI, Axar Patel will hope he gets picked for the remainder of India’s games before World Cup 2023. Axar Patel’s inclusion in India’s World Cup squad is also subjected to the performances from the other spinners.
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World Cup 2023
ENG vs NZ will mark the beginning of World Cup 2023 which will also be a repeat of 2019 final. Hosts India will begin their campaign against Australia in Chennai. Despite objections from Pakistan, the blockbuster IND vs PAK match will go ahead in Ahmedabad.
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‘Need 11-12 ODIs to find Best XI’: Rohit Sharma
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma spoke to the press ahead of the 1st ODI vs WI where he shared his views and team India’s plans ahead of the mega tournament. Sharma stated the youngsters and the new players in the team will be given opportunities to get much-needed game time.
“The West Indies series is important as there are many new players who are inexperienced and we are providing them the opportunity to play and give them certain roles. We also get the option to see how these players play and respond,” said Rohit Sharma.
“We are playing 3 ODIs here, in Asia Cup we will play 5-6 games, After that the Australia series, so in total we will play 11-12 ODI matches which is a decent time to understand which players will be a part of the team,” said Rohit Sharma.
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