Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of selectors for the Indian cricket team, joined hands with the team’s captain, Rohit Sharma, to unveil the 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023. This exciting event is set to kick off on October 5th and marks a historic moment as India plays host to the tournament exclusively for the very first time.
Ajit Agarkar, the chief selector, and captain Rohit Sharma recently addressed the media in Sri Lanka to unveil India’s 15-player lineup for the upcoming ICC tournament. India has been eagerly awaiting a title win for the past decade, and this squad is designed to break that drought. Notably, KL Rahul has earned his spot in the World Cup squad after recovering from a five-month injury hiatus. The team management has also made some intriguing choices to ensure a well-rounded starting eleven.
Here are the three surprise exclusions from India’s World Cup 2023 squad:
1. No Yuzvendra Chahal in the World Cup 2023 squad:
Throughout the entire World Cup event, the playing conditions in India seem to be benefiting spin bowlers. Cricket grounds in locations like Chennai, Delhi, and Lucknow are expected to be dry and likely to assist spinners. Interestingly, while several nations are aiming at developing their spin bowling, India has decided on just one specialist spinner in their 15-member squad, namely Kuldeep Yadav. In addition to Kuldeep, they have the company of the left-arm spin pair, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. The exclusion of Yuzvendra Chahal from the Asia Cup roster pointed at India’s preference for spin all-rounders rather than depending primarily on specialized spin bowlers.
2. No Sanju Samson in the World Cup 2023 squad:
One of the most shocking omissions in the Indian World Cup 2023 roster, especially in the batting area, was Sanju Samson. This gifted cricketer from Kerala has long seemed poised to gain a permanent space in the Indian side, but he finds himself edged out by those who have shown higher statistical performance.
In this pick, the BCCI selectors opted for KL Rahul as one of the wicketkeeping alternatives. Rahul, who has recently gained full fitness clearance from the NCA after dealing with a groin injury, offers his significant skills to the team. The second wicketkeeping option is Ishan Kishan, who has been in excellent form with the bat. He’s chalked up four consecutive half-centuries in ODIs and his left-handed batting style offers the Indian squad an advantageous edge in the middle order, particularly when facing opposing spin bowlers.
3. Prasidh Krishna didn’t get a chance in the World Cup 2023:
After a hiatus of more than a year due to a back injury suffered during the Zimbabwe tour in August 2022, the tall and agile pacer from Karnataka, Prasidh Krishna, marked his return to the Indian cricket team during the T20I series against Ireland. His road to recovery involved surgery and extensive rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
Prasidh Krishna boasts an impressive record in ODIs, having claimed 25 wickets in just 14 matches, with a notable best performance of 4/12. Many cricket enthusiasts anticipated his inclusion in the Indian squad for the ICC World Cup 2023, primarily because of his ability to generate bounce from any pitch, thanks to his towering height.
However, the resurgence of Jasprit Bumrah and the presence of Mohammad Shami and Mohammed Siraj in the fast bowling department seem to have deterred the BCCI from adding another pacer to the World Cup squad. Instead, the selection committee opted for an extra pace-bowling all-rounder in Shardul Thakur, a move aimed at bolstering the team’s batting depth alongside Hardik Pandya.
