The eagerly awaited preliminary 15-member squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 has been unveiled on Tuesday, just ahead of the September 5 deadline set by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The tournament is scheduled to commence on October 5, with a clash between the reigning champions, England, and the runners-up, New Zealand, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
One of the primary areas of focus for the selectors is the wicketkeeper’s position. The question on everyone’s mind is whether KL Rahul has secured his place in the squad. Rahul had initially been selected for the Asia Cup 2023 squad but sustained an injury that forced him to miss India’s two preliminary matches against Pakistan and Nepal.
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In his absence, Ishan Kishan has stepped up and delivered impressive performances. Another key point of discussion has been the pace bowling attack. Mohammed Shami has joined forces with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. Yuzvendra Chahal, a prominent spinner, has been omitted from the World Cup squad, with the all-round capabilities of Axar Patel being preferred. Surprisingly, there were no major surprises in the squad.
Fast bowler Prasidh Krishna, left-handed batsman Tilak Varma, and wicketkeeping batsman Sanju Samson, who are currently part of the India squad in the ongoing Asia Cup, did not make the final cut. However, the remaining 15 members from the Asia Cup squad, led by Rohit Sharma, have retained their places for the World Cup.
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Chief selector Ajit Agarkar and captain Rohit Sharma have announced the team, which is as follows: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (VC), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj
Squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya (Vice-captain), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav#TeamIndia | #CWC23
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 5, 2023
