India squad for 2023 World Cup: Why is Yuzvendra Chahal not playing ODI World Cup 2023?

India squad for 2023 World Cup announcement has left fans and pundits bewildered, primarily due to the omission of the seasoned leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. The decision to drop Chahal in favor of other spin options like Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel has ignited debates among cricket enthusiasts.

Why is Yuzvendra Chahal not playing ODI World Cup 2023?

Yuzvendra Chahal, a stalwart in India’s limited-overs cricket for several years, has consistently been one of the team’s top-performing spinners. His knack for picking up crucial wickets in the middle overs and containing the opposition’s batting line-up made him an indispensable asset.

The decision to go with this trio suggests that the team management is placing a premium on all-round skills. Ravindra Jadeja‘s ability to contribute significantly with both bat and ball and Axar Patel’s handy lower-order batting could have tilted the balance in their favor. Kuldeep Yadav, with his wrist-spin variations, brings another dimension to the spin attack.

“Clearly there will be discussions given we have both Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel who spin the ball into left-handers. [But] both give us depth in batting. Kuldeep takes the ball away. In 50 overs cricket, perhaps you would ideally want an offspinner but this gives us the best balance. Seamers tend to bowl a lot more in ODIs as compared to T20 cricket, and perhaps you’re a little more under pressure if you don’t have an offie, so we’re happy with the guys we have,” said chief selector Ajit Agarkar.

Earlier during selection of Asia Cup 2023 squad, Rohit Sharma had said, “Opportunities are still available for everyone, including Ravi Ashwin, Chahal, and Sundar, to be part of the World Cup squad.” While chief selector Ajit Agarkar emphasized, “Chahal is a terrific performer, but we had to carefully consider the team’s balance. Accommodating two wrist spinners posed difficulties.”

Yuzvendra Chahal last 10 ODI match performance

India squad for 2023 World Cup

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav.