India have named their squad for the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup on Tuesday, 5 September.
The team is currently participating in the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, and beat Nepal by 10 wickets (DLS Method) on Monday to secure qualification for the Super Four stage.
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The squad composition is more or less what was expected, with the think tank’s emphasis on all-round ability coming to the fore as Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Shardul Thakur have all made the cut.
India Cricket World Cup squad, team list
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
Wicketkeeper KL Rahul has been included despite not yet returning to action since his injury in during IPL 2023.
Shreyas Iyer, who made a comeback from injury against Pakistan in the Asia Cup, is likely to play at No 4 in the World Cup.
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah missed the game against Nepal for personal reasons, and will be looking to get back to full match fitness.
MORE: India vs Nepal player ratings: Ravindra Jadeja shines as India wins
He played in the Ireland series after recovering from nearly a year out with injury. Left-hander Ishan Kishan has made the squad on the back of some impressive form and will push KL Rahul hard for a spot in the starting XI.
| Name | Role | Age |
|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma (captain) | Batter | 36 |
| Shubman Gill | Batter | 23 |
| Virat Kohli | Batter | 34 |
| Shreyas Iyer | Batter | 28 |
| KL Rahul | Wicketkeeper-batter | 31 |
| Hardik Pandya (vice-captain) | All-rounder | 29 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | All-rounder | 34 |
| Shardul Thakur | All-rounder | 31 |
| Kuldeep Yadav | Bowler | 28 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | Bowler | 29 |
| Mohammed Siraj | Bowler | 29 |
| Ishan Kishan | Wicketkeeper-batter | 25 |
| Suryakumar Yadav | Batter | 32 |
| Axar Patel | All-rounder | 29 |
| Mohammed Shami | Bowler | 32 |
India star players
India’s biggest strength at this tournament is their batting. The top three of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli is as good as any in the tournament, and they will need to come good to give India a good platform in the batting department.
MORE: Bumrah sets sights on Asia Cup and World Cup
Apart from these three, Jasprit Bumrah will be a crucial part of the bowling lineup. Whether taking the new ball, enforcing the middle overs or bowling deadly yorkers in the slog overs, a successful campaign for Bumrah will likely mean a successful campaign for India.
India Cricket World Cup fixtures
- October 8: v Australia, Chennai (D/N), 2pm IST
- October 11: v Afghanistan, Delhi (D/N), 2pm IST
- October 14: v Pakistan, Ahmedabad (D/N), 2pm IST
- October 19: v Bangladesh, Pune (D/N), 2pm IST
- October 22: v New Zealand, Dharamsala (D/N), 2pm IST
- October 29: v England, Lucknow (D/N), 2pm IST
- November 2: v Sri Lanka, Mumbai (D/N), 2pm IST
- November 5: v South Africa, Kolkata (D/N), 2pm IST
- November 12: v Netherlands, Bengaluru (D/N), 2pm IST
Can India win the Cricket World Cup?
This is perhaps the burning question around India this year. The last time a World Cup was held on Indian soil, it ended in an Indian victory. However, the pressure of expectation is immense on this team, which has not won an ICC trophy since the 2013 Champions Trophy.
Rohit Sharma is India’s third permanent captain since that win, and the majority of this squad had not even made their IPL debuts at that point. Kohli is the only one standing from the famous 2011 triumph, and at this point it is not clear if he will return for 2027.
The Indian team is as strong as any in the tournament, and if they can just iron out a few aspects of their play there is every chance that Kohli, if this is indeed his last World Cup, also gets the ending that he was able to give Sachin Tendulkar.