Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma, along with BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar, unveiled the 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in Kandy. The squad closely resembles the Asia Cup lineup, with Tilak Varma and Prasidh Krishna being the notable omissions.
India’s bowling arsenal includes four seamers: Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, and Mohammed Siraj, complemented by three spinners: Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav. KL Rahul, who had sustained a thigh injury during the IPL, has been selected and is expected to join the team during the later stages of the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.
This inclusion means that Sanju Samson, along with Tilak Varma and Prasidh Krishna, did not make the final squad. Leading the batting unit is Captain Rohit Sharma, supported by Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, and Ishan Kishan, who provides wicket-keeping depth.
The squad emphasizes batting versatility, including all-rounders Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Shardul Thakur. Jasprit Bumrah, who has shown no signs of injury, heads the pace bowling department, with Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj expected to be the primary pacers. Kuldeep Yadav is the team’s primary spin option.
The Cricket World Cup begins on October 5 with a match between England and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, concluding with the final at the same venue on November 19. India will initiate its campaign on October 8 against Australia in Chennai.
This edition of the World Cup features ten teams, competing across ten venues from October 5 to November 19, with 48 matches scheduled over 46 days. In addition to Ahmedabad and Chennai, matches will be hosted in Bengaluru, Delhi, Dharamsala, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Pune.
Practice games will be held in Guwahati, Hyderabad, and Thiruvananthapuram. The top four teams will advance to the semi-finals, which will be held on November 15 in Mumbai and November 16 in Kolkata, with the final taking place on November 19 in Ahmedabad. Reserve days have been designated for the semi-finals and final.
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