ICC World Cup warm-up matches have started. It means the reverse countdown to the mega event is on. Home team India will play two matches in this warm-up round. One is against England tomorrow, and the second is against the Netherlands on Tuesday.
India has finalized its squad for the World Cup. As per the rules of the warm-up round, the team does not need to name a playing XI. They only need to decide who will be the 11 players batting and bowling. Here is India’s squad for the mega event:
Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav.
Here are the three things that India need to do in the warm-up matches.
1. India should play for practice, not for the win
It will be okay if India does not win the warm-up matches, but they should aim to get as much practice as possible. In 2021, India went for the wins in warm-up matches against Australia and England. Eventually, India was eliminated from the Super 12 round, while Australia won the tournament.
2. Focus should be on Ravindra Jadeja’s batting in ICC World Cup warm-up matches
Many batters have said that the best way to regain form in cricket is to face as many as deliveries possible. Ravindra Jadeja should be sent up the order in both the matches. If he plays 150-165 balls across the two games and scores big, it will be great for him during the World Cup. India should only play him as a specialist batter in the warm-up matches.
3. Try Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav in both the matches
India needs to finalize its middle-order soon. Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav should get the chances to showcase their talent. Depending on the performance, the team management can then decide who should bat in the middle-order during the main matches.
