ODI World Cup 2023: Predicted India Squad

The ODI World Cup 2023 is less than a year away and Team India will be eyeing this tournament closely. A lot depends on the makeup of India’s squad for the ODI World Cup 2023. Here we look at the possible India squad for ODI World Cup 2023.

probable India sqUad for World Cup 2023

Rohit Sharma

Shikhar Dhawan

Shubman Gill

Virat Kohli

KL Rahul

Shreyas Iyer

Rishabh Pant

Hardik Pandya

Ravindra Jadeja

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Jasprit Bumrah

Mohammad Shami

Prasidh Krishna

Yuzvendra Chahal

Kuldeep Yadav

The certainties

The good thing for Team India is that they have a strong core around which they can build their squad. Lets look at players who are sure to feature in the Wolrld Cup 2023.

Rohit Sharma will be the skipper and the lead batter along with Virat Kohli who although struggling, still remains India’s batting spearhead. Similarly in bowling, Jasprit Bumrah is the leader of the pace attack.

Rohit has 9454 runs in 235 ODIs at an average of 48.73. Importantly he was the highest run-scorer in the previous World Cup as he amassed 648 runs in 9 innings at an average of 81.00 and had scored a record-breaking 5 tons.

Kohli is arguably the greatest white-ball batter of this era. With 12471 runs in 265 ODIs at an average of 57.47 and 44 hundreds, his place as one of the all-time greats of the game is secured. His current form could be a concern but the heroics of T20 world cup in 2022 reflect his hunger to make a statement.

Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja have become indispensable due to their recent form, quick growth and ability to contribute to multiple departments. Since 2020, Jadeja averages 51.80 in ODIs and has 259 runs in 12 games, and has picked 8 wickets as well. Pandya meanwhile will be the designated finisher as since 2020 his strike rate is 115.63 and he averages 47.66 with 429 runs.

Bumrah has taken 18 wickets since 2020 in 14 games and is the key match-winner for the team.

So in Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja India have 5 automatic picks for this tournament.

The probables

India has also have several players who have strong performances and have heavy chances to make it to the squad.

Shikhar Dhawan has been India’s preferred opener in ODIs for a decade now and his record in ICC tournament makes him an automatic pick. But his recent numbers could make his selection questionable as India has some alternatives.

Dhawan has made 1275 runs since January 2020 and is India’s leading run scorer in this period. However his strike-rate of 81.36 can go against him. In World Cups he has scored 537 runs in 10 games and has 3 hundreds to his name with an average of 53.70.

KL Rahul is the current vice-captain of the team and a difficult name to ignore. He can open, bat in middle order and can keep wickets if needed. He averages 45.84 since 2020 and importantly has a strike rate of 96.24.

Shreyas Iyer’s short ball woes is an open secret. Despite that he is making most of the opportunities he is getting. In 2022, he has scored 724 runs at an average of 55.69. And has 1 hundred and 6 fifties in 15 innings.

Rishabh Pant made a late entry into the 2019 World Cup as the X factor but failed to make an impact. 3 years later he is the team’s de facto wicket-keeper in Tests but in ODIs, he hasn’t clicked yet. He does average 43.25 since 2020 in 15 ODIs and has a strike rate of 107.45. His aggressive batting can make him the preferred wicket-keeper in the squad.

Yuzvendra Chahal is India’s lead spinner and he should play the same role in the World Cup too. He has 118 wickets in 70 ODIs and on the Indian wickets could be a big factor.

Similarly, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammad Shami have made strong claims at various points. R Ashwin, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav are in contention too.

The wild cards:

Team India can take a bold step and add a few names in the squad who are relatively inexperienced. The management might bank on a player’s potential and take that risk. Umran Malik and Prasidh Krishna could be these names while in batting Suryakumar Yadav can be seen in the middle order. These players haven’t made a strong case in ODIs yet but they have the potential for sure.

Krishna has 25 wickets in 14 ODIs and averages 23.92 while Malik’s pace has excited everyone. He has played only 5 ODIs and has 7 wickets but he could feature in more games. Suryakumar Yadav is India’s best T20 batter but he hasn’t clicked in ODIs yet. He has made 384 runs in 16 ODIs with an average of 100.52.

Shubman Gill is progressing at a quick pace. He has scored 687 runs in 15 ODI innings and averages a whopping 57.25.

The Team combination:

As the World Cup is in the sub-continent, expect spinners to have a bigger role. So India can go with 2 spinners, 3 pacers in the playing 11, and with 6 batters including an all-rounder.

Can India win Cricket World Cup 2023?

The Men in Blue have not won any ICC tournament since 2013 and hence the ODI World Cup will be on India’s radar. Team India will be eager to utilize the home advantage and win an ICC trophy to earn bragging rights on the global stage.

No one doubts India’s strength in all formats of the game but India’s downfall in recent times has been due to ineffective strategies and the selection of the wrong players in the wrong situations.