The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) unveiled an extended 17-member squad for the forthcoming Asia Cup 2023 on Monday, August 21. The team, led by Rohit Sharma, marks the return of key players who had been sidelined due to injuries and rest periods.
Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of the selection committee, announced the squad during a press conference in New Delhi, joined by captain Rohit Sharma. Notably, the most significant highlight of the squad was the inclusion of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, who are making their comebacks following periods of injury. The pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj also makes a return to the One Day International (ODI) side.
Despite his recent ordinary performances in one-day internationals, Suryakumar Yadav retains his place in the squad. Pacer Prasidh Krishna, who has recovered from a back injury, makes a comeback to the ODI squad for the first time since August 2022. As anticipated, India has included Tilak Varma in the squad. Varma, who is yet to debut in ODIs, secured his spot after impressive performances during his maiden T20I series on the West Indies tour.
Ajit Agarkar confirmed that the composition of the World Cup squad will closely resemble the Asia Cup squad. However, the team has until September 5 (the deadline for provisional squad announcements) to make any necessary changes.
India's Squad for Asia Cup 2023:
- Rohit Sharma (Captain)
- Shubman Gill
- Virat Kohli
- Shreyas Iyer
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Tilak Varma
- KL Rahul
- Ishan Kishan
- Hardik Pandya (Vice-Captain)
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Axar Patel
- Shardul Thakur
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Mohammed Shami
- Mohammed Siraj
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Prasidh Krishna
Backup: Sanju Samson
Notably Absent: Yuzvendra Chahal
Surprisingly, Yuzvendra Chahal did not secure a place in the 17-man squad. Despite being a consistent wicket-taker in ODIs, Chahal was excluded once again, missing out on yet another World Cup opportunity. Chahal did not play a single game during the West Indies tour in July, making his return solely in the T20 format.
India's Comeback Players:
- KL Rahul: Returning from a thigh injury
- Shreyas Iyer: Back in action after recovering from a back injury
- Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna: Back in the squad following back injuries
The Search for a Stable Number 4:
Since the 2019 World Cup, India has grappled with finding a stable option for the number 4 batting position. Despite numerous players being tested for the role, the team still lacks a solid choice, only a couple of months away from the 2023 World Cup.
Among the contenders, Shreyas Iyer has shown the most promise, accumulating 805 runs in 20 innings at an average of 47.35 in the current World Cup cycle. However, Iyer sustained a back injury against Australia, rendering him unavailable for international matches since February of the same year.
The injury, involving a bulging disc pressing against a nerve, led him to undergo a successful back surgery on June 3rd, 2023, in London. This injury caused him to miss the entirety of the IPL 2023 season and the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
KL Rahul's Journey Back:
KL Rahul, who had been performing consistently with an average of 56.53 at the number five spot, appeared to be a reliable choice for the upcoming World Cup. Unfortunately, he suffered a thigh injury while captaining the Lucknow Super Giants against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2023, which has kept him out of action since then.
The severity of the injury necessitated a surgery, which was successfully conducted on May 9th. Following the operation, Rahul dedicated himself to an extensive rehabilitation program at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, as shared on his official Instagram account. Under the supervision of BCCI trainers, his recovery process included intense gym workouts aimed at ensuring his complete recuperation.