In preparation for
the highly anticipated 50-over Cricket World Cup set to kick off in India on
October 5, 2023, Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar has officially unveiled the provisional
15-member squad for Team India. The charismatic Rohit Sharma is bestowed with
the honor of leading the squad in this prestigious tournament, with the gifted
Shubman Gill selected as his opening partner. Notably, Ishan Kishan secures a
pivotal role as the third opener for this marquee event.
The middle-order
lineup boasts a wealth of talent, with stalwarts like Virat Kohli, Shreyas
Iyer, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and the versatile Ravindra
Jadeja, ready to wield their bats with precision. Meanwhile, the pace bowling
department is fortified with the formidable presence of Jasprit Bumrah,
Mohammed Shami, Mohammad Siraj, and the ever-reliable Shardul Thakur. However,
Prasidh Krishna finds himself omitted from the squad.
In the spin bowling
department, India is not short on options, with Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja,
and Axar Patel poised to play pivotal roles. KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan will
share the wicketkeeping responsibilities for the squad, showcasing their versatility
in this crucial tournament.
The Indian cricket
team is currently engaged in the Asia Cup 2023, where they displayed their
dominance by securing a resounding 10-wicket victory over Nepal at the Palleke
International Stadium in Kandy on September 4th. Notably, the initial
India-Pakistan match in the tournament was marred by rain, resulting in a
no-result as the second innings couldn't commence.
One of the standout
performances came from Ishan Kishan, who played a brilliant knock of 82 runs
against arch-rivals Pakistan when India was facing adversity at 66 for 4.
However, it's worth noting that Tilak Varma and Prasidh Krishna, initially part
of the Asia Cup 2023 squad, have been omitted from the lineup for the upcoming
Cricket World Cup.
ICC Cricket
World Cup 2023: Schedule
On paper, the
Indian team appears formidable, especially with the return of players like
Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul, who have recovered from their
injuries. The team is set to commence their campaign against Australia on October
8th at the M Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Subsequently, they will lock horns
with Afghanistan on October 11th at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi,
followed by a match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 14th.
The schedule continues
with a clash against Bangladesh on October 19th at the MCA Stadium in Pune,
followed by a showdown with New Zealand at Dharmshala on October 22nd. India
will then face England at Lucknow on October 29th, and their next encounter is
against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 2nd.
The team's journey
includes a match against South Africa at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on November
5th, and the final fixture of the league stage against the Netherlands at the M
Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on November 12th. The top four teams emerging
from the league stage will secure their spots in the semi-finals, and India
aims to clinch an ICC title after a 12-year hiatus.
India’s Squad
for the 2023 Cricket World Cup
·
Rohit
Sharma (Captain)
·
Shubman
Gill
·
Ishan
Kishan
·
Virat
Kohli
·
KL
Rahul
·
Suryakumar
Yadav
·
Shreyas
Iyer
·
Hardik
Pandya
·
Ravindra
Jadeja
·
Shardul
Thakur
·
Axar
Patel
·
Mohammed
Shami
·
Mohammad
Siraj
·
Jasprit
Bumrah
·
Kuldeep
Yadav