The much-awaited announcement was made on Monday, August 21. For the first time, captain Rohit Sharma accompanied newly appointed selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar to a press conference in New Delhi, which announced India’s 17-man squad for the 2023 Asian Cup.
Unlike some other powerhouse teams, including Australia and England, India delayed the announcement of their provisional ODI World Cup squad, giving them more time to focus on the final round of 15. for the demonstration event, which starts on October 5. The team management and it seems the selectors are very hopeful that everything will be in order in the next 2 weeks. In addition to the training camp in Bengaluru, India also played two matches in the Asian Cup, including a big match against Pakistan on September 2, before the deadline to announce the temporary ODI World Cup. However, the 17-man squad and selection of substitutes moving in Sanju Samson give us a glimpse of India’s ODI World Cup squad.
“I mean, it’s really undisputed. We’ve picked these 18 players, so (the World Cup squad) will include and surround those players. A few important players. will come back from injury. Hopefully everything goes well for them, “said Agarkar.
There are not many surprises in the 17-member composition of the Asian Cup. However, the return of injured stars and batting-heavy squad raises some concerns.
BIG PROFIT
While the likes of New Zealand and England are afraid to risk bringing back their injured players, India seems to be hungry for the return of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer. Both Rahul and Shreyas underwent surgery to treat injuries to their thighs and back respectively. The Lucknow Super Giants captain hasn’t competed since IPL 2023 while the Kolkata Knight Riders captain has been out of action since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in March.
India is hoping that the two players, who have proven their mettle in the midfield, will find some form in the Asian Cup before they announce their World Cup squad. India has been struggling with their No. 1 spot. 4 and no. 5, so much so that it’s not hard to understand the desperate attempt to bring Rahul and Iyer back together.
However, Ajit Agarkar revealed that KL Rahul has picked up an injury unrelated to his previous one and the hitter is likely to miss some of the Asian Cup’s first few games, including the final. Clashes between teams. In that case, the team leadership had to show faith in Rahul and pick him in the final round of 15 for the World Cup without a chance to judge him in match situations.
Rahul has been prone to injuries in recent times and his return from a lengthy break last year did not go according to plan as the star player struggled to qualify. attend the T20 Asian Cup and T20 World Cup when he returns to the national team.
Like Ravi Shastri said during his interaction with Star Sports, India seems to be “demanding too much of the players themselves”.
WHY SKY?
It seems that India is preparing Suryakumar Yadav as a backup to Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul in the middle role over the past few months. However, the goal milestone has changed when the number 1 player in the world. 1 hitter T20I was given the role of finisher in the ODI series against the West Indies.
By his own admission, Suryakumar did not progress and excel in the ODI series despite steady opportunities. He scored 511 runs in 24 ODI runs, and his last fifty came 17 runs in the game’s 50-plus format.
Did India waste a slot picking one more batter, especially considering the return of Iyer and Rahul? Or is it a sign of the team leadership not showing faith in their returning stars?
“The player that I think is lucky to be around is Suryakumar Yadav. I know he’s a player we all love to watch, but he hasn’t really mastered the game for more than 50 games. . I think he’s played more than 20 games now and with a very modest margin,” Tom Moody told broadcasters after India’s squad selection.
“And for me, there are better options. I’d rather see a younger player like Jaiswal on that side. Or take that position and play a spinning wrist. You know another spinning wrist.”
OTHER Wrist camcorder?
As for the Asian Cup in Sri Lanka and the World Cup at home, India seems content with just 3 gyros. It was a bit of a surprise to see India only name Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel in their expanded 17-man squad.
It is clear that the lack of big runs from captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli along with troubles in the middleweight have forced India to choose pitchers who can hit the ball instead of showing faith in the ball. Professional pitchers can get the job done.
Rohit Sharma revealed that wrist rotator Yuzvendra Chahal and several outfielders were considered but India chose Axar Patel, considering his ability to play with sticks.
While Axar’s hit count in the ODI was unimpressive (18.77 in 32 plays), India were determined to add more depth to their team.
Unfortunately, Yuzvendra Chahal missed despite doing well enough to be considered.
On the other hand, India also seems to be worried about the possibility of an October-November frost in the country and captain Rohit Sharma expects speed to play a big part in the World Cup at home.
“Dew will play some role but a good pitcher is a good pitcher, Kuldeep will find a way. We chose a team based on the best balance we have, ‘ Agarkar said.
FLEXIBLE AND NOT FLEXIBLE
Captain Rohit Sharma pointed to the need for flexibility of batters in the Asian Cup and World Cup, underscoring the changing demands of the game. He was happy to explain his statement when pressed further and even Agarkar stepped in to clarify the captain’s statement.
“When I say flexibility is important, I don’t mean putting the scorer in seventh or opening the ball with Hardik Pandya,” Rohit said.
“Shikhar and Rohit have only opened for the last seven or eight years, Kohli has only hit three points. Young players come in at four-five, it’s important that they be flexible, hit up and down,” said Rohit.
However, it is difficult to understand why in the squad only young players, who are fighting for sport, are the only ones who need flexibility.
Are Rohit and Kohli comfortable starting against the mid spin?
What if KL Rahul is unfit and Ishan Kishan needs to be placed in the XI? Will he be given the opener he succeeded in, or will he be required to be ‘flexible’ and play in the middle?
Ishan Kishan’s batting position against Pakistan on September 2 should give us an idea!
CAN YOU BATTLE?
Rohit Sharma admits there is a lack of hitters who can roll on the Indian side while joking that Virat Kohli and he are prepared to have a tit-for-tat if need be. Ajit Agarkar joined in and said the casters had convinced the two superstars to be ready to roll in.
Unfortunately, however, India was unable to generate additional bowling options ahead of the World Cup.
“It’s the team of 2011, they have individuals who can pitch, can hit the ball. In our case we have to take advantage of the people who are with us right now. And the best, those who have shown we give them a chance. We can’t create someone who can succeed in the team overnight, it’s not like that,” he said.
The problem of India not having hand-rollable batters is not a recent concern. Workload and injury issues also affect the prospect of someone like Shreyas Iyer getting enough opportunities to play in competitive situations.
One can only hope that Kohli and Rohit will step up and join in with a few passes if the need arises.
Published on:
August 22, 2023
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