The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has today officially announced the ODI squad for the much-anticipated series against the West Indies, featuring a formidable lineup of seasoned veterans and promising young talents.
Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, the team aims to maintain its impressive track record in the One Day International format ahead of the much awaited ICC Cricket World Cup later this year.
At the top of the batting order, fans can expect explosive performances from the dynamic duo of captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. Their aggressive stroke play and ability to build partnerships will be crucial in setting the tone for the innings. Ruturaj Gaikwad has also been included for his exceptional performance in the List-A format.
The middle order boasts the presence of cricketing maestro Virat Kohli, who will anchor the innings and guide the team through challenging situations. Joining him will be Suryakumar Yadav, whose exploits in the T20 format have earned him a spot in the ODI squad. Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan will be the wicketkeeping options.
Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur and Axar Petl will fill in the all-rounders slot while KulCha (Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvnedra Chahal) will be the lead spin duo.
Mohammed Siraj will have the company of young Umran Malik and Mukesh Kumar, while experienced campaigner Jaydev Unadkat will play a crucial role with his years of experience.
India’s ODI Squad: Rohit Sharma (Capt), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya (VC), Shardul Thakur, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik, Mukesh… pic.twitter.com/PGRexBAGFZ
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 23, 2023
The ODI series against the West Indies is scheduled to kick off with the first match on 27th July, followed by the second and third ODIs on 29th July and 1st August, respectively.
While the year 2023 is big one for India as they are set to host the ICC Cricket World Cup and would also look to end the ICC Trophy drought, some players not getting selected has raised some questions. Today in this article we take a look at 3 players who should have been tested in his very important series ahead of the World Cup and the Asia Cup.
T Natarajan
T Natarajan was a fame straightaway after making his debut for the Indian team in the T20 series after starring in the IPL. As a appreciation for his performance in the T20Is, he was also given an opportunity to represent the country in the ODI format as well. Thus far, Natarajan has played 2 ODI matches and has taken 3 wickets. While India need a left-arm pacer right now (despite the inclusion of Jaydev Unadkat who is a more pace bowler), Natarajan brings that swing and line and length that would have been crucial for the Men in Blue.
Arshdeep Singh
Another left-arm pacer who could have been considered instead of Jaydev Unadkat, more on the younger side, is the Punjab’s young pacer Arshdeep Singh, who made instant impact for the Indian team with his line and length and his swing bowling, earning himself a place in the Indian team in the Asia Cup. However, after the T20 World Cup 2022 defeat for India, Arshdeep has not been a regular in the team. But there is no doubt about his quality and would have been a great addition and would have helped a lot in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, to be played in India.
Rinku Singh
Another player who has not been picked into the team for the West Indies ODI series but only could have improved the team is Uttar Pradesh and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)’s middle-order batsman Rinku Singh. Singh took everyone by surprise with his batting performance in the IPL 2023, especially his 5 Sixes in the last 5 balls of the match to help KKR beat Gujarat Titans. But it’s not only about the IPL, Rinku has been equally good for Uttar Pradesh in the domestic cricket. In 51 List-A matches, Rinku has scored 1749 runs at an average of 53. His addition into the ODI team for the West Indies series could have only improved the team, but he is almost certain to feature in the T20I series vs the Caribbean side.
