For the upcoming ICC Men’s 50-over World Cup, scheduled in October-November, this year, the BCCI has announced a 20-member probable squad to represent India in the all-important tournament. So, in regard to the BCCI’s latest decisions regarding Team India’s poor performance in the calendar year, 2022, the following changes can be noted-
Combination of the old and young alike- The current squad is evenly poised in favour of both – the old guard as well as the young guns alike.
Retaining Rohit Sharma as the skipper- Amidst talks of his own personal and recent forms, there was a debate about whether Rohit Sharma should be retained as the skipper or not for the all-important WC – 2023 squad. But the BCCI has once again reposed their faith in one of the finest white-ball cricketers, the country has ever produced. Despite many lows in life, Sharma is suffering in his current career form.
Good Mixture of Spin and Pace- The squad has a perfect mix of all types of bowling options – fast, medium – pace, and spin. However, the absence of one of the best offices in the world – cricket, Ravichandran Ashwin from the squad is a bit surprising.
Return of Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah- The squad also marks the return of two veterans of modern-day Indian cricket – Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah. Their return to the side will only add to the strength of the Indian side, which will get stronger due to it.
The opportunity to Sanju Samson- Possibly one of the best discoveries of the coveted Indian Premier League (IPL), the maverick RR skipper, Sanju Samson is most of the time ignored when it comes to the selection to the national side. But this time, the selectors have rectified this mistake and Samson is given the place, he deserved for a long period of time. So, this will definitely add an extra option for the team, as Samson has the ability to bat at any position for the side, he is playing for. So, with these changes, it will be wonderful to see, whether Team India is able to perform better this year, not only in this WC – 2023, and even in the entire calendar year.
The Squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (W/K), K. L. Rahul (W/K), Hardik Pandya (V/C), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Ishan Kishan (W/K), Sanju Samson (W/K), Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Mohammad Shami, Shardul Thakur, Arshdeep Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, and Umran Malik.
