Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan was ignored by selectors for the World Cup 2023 as Team India announced the 15-member squad on Tuesday. Despite being one of the clutch players for the Men in Blue in ICC events, Dhawan was not included in the squad for the big event. However, despite the snub, the veteran opener showed big heart and wished the World Cup squad best of luck for the tournament.
Dhawan on Wednesday took to Twitter to congratulate the players who were selected for the World Cup 2023 and sent best wishes to his fellow teammates.
“Congratulations to my fellow team mates & friends chosen to represent India in the WC 2023 tournament! With the prayers and support of 1.5 billion people, you carry our hopes and dreams.
May you bring the cup back home 🏆 and make us proud! Go all out, Team India!”, the 37-year-old wrote on Twitter.
Notably, Shikhar Dhawan has been out of Team India plans for last 12 months. The two-time ICC Player of the Tournament, hasn’t played for India since December 2022. Earlier, chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar talked about Dhawan’s future at the press conference for Asia Cup 2023 squad announcement.
“Rohit is not a bad player, Shubman has had a phenomenal year. Ishan Kishan (is another one). Shikhar has been a terrific player for India. At the moment three guys are doing well and you can fit only 15. At the moment these are our preferred openers,” Agarkar told media.
Meanwhile, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma spoke about players missing out on World Cup 2023 squad. The Indian captain stated that they looked at ‘every possible’ way before naming the final fifteen. The 36-year-old asked the left out players to ‘chin up’ and wait for the right opportunity.
India Squad for World Cup 2023
Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya (VC), Shardul Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav