Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar said on Tuesday that they have picked the best balance to win the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 which will commence from October 5 in India. Indian captain Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar announced the 15-member squad for the ICC men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 on Tuesday in Kandy.
“We started planning early, but there were a couple of fitness issues. The big players for us, all have come through from long-term injury. KL is also looking good. This gives us the best balance and the best chance to win the World Cup,” Ajit Agarkar said after the announcement of India’s squad for the World Cup. The BCCI chief selector also assured that KL Rahul is fully fit to make a comeback into the side.
Also Read: No Sanju Samson, KL Rahul returns: India World Cup 2023 Squad announced
“This is the 15 that you have picked and you are not going to change unless you have to change that will be only because of the injury. With KL, he was the par of the camp in Bengaluru, he looked good there, and he just picked up niggle before the Aisa Cup, he is a good player and we are happy to have him on the team,” he added.
“We have a pool of 17 players, including Rahul, and we have contingency plans in place. Our focus is on selecting the 15 individuals who can successfully complete the task at hand. KL Rahul has played a couple of games over the last two days and kept wicket for whole 50 overs. He should be ready. As for spinners, there were discussions and both offer depth in batting and bowling and they take the ball away. We ideally wanted an off-spinner but this gives balance. We are quite happy with the bowlers we have,” he further said.
The squad is almost the same as the Asia Cup squad, Tilak Varma and Prasidh Krishna are excluded from the side. India is going with four seamers Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, and Mohammed Siraj while three spinners Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav.
KL Rahul who injured his thigh earlier in the year at the IPL, though has been training at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, and will likely join his India teammates during the latter stages of the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka. With Rahul in the squad, Sanju Samson has missed out, as well as Tilak Varma and Prasidh Krishna as other omissions.
Captain Rohit Sharma leads the batting group, with Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav all named, as well as Ishan Kishan who provides another keeping option. All-rounders Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Shardul Thakur have also been named in an emphasis on batting options.
After showing no signs of injury upon his return, Jasprit Bumrah spearheads the bowling group, with Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj likely the first-choice pace group. Kuldeep Yadav is the side’s leading spin option. Ten teams will feature in this biggest Cricket World Cup ever, to be played across 10 venues from October 5 to November 19, with the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad hosting the tournament opener and the final. The event will feature 48 matches to be played across 46 days.
India squad for World Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj.
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