The Chief Selector of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Ajit Agarkar, has announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming ODI World Cup that will be hosted in India. Interestingly, the squad doesn’t include any reserve or backup players. The team, led by Rohit Sharma, will be eager to break their 10-year drought of winning an ICC tournament.
Team India is expected to be one of the top contenders for the World Championship in India, as they have a strong and capable team that can excel in sub-continental conditions. The last time the Indian team won a major tournament was in the 2013 Champions Trophy, which was famously led by the legendary MS Dhoni.
The Indian cricket team’s squad for the upcoming marquee event left out some notable players such as Sanju Samson, Yuzvendra Chahal, Tilak Varma, and Prasidh Krishna. This has led to many experts and fans questioning the inclusion of underperforming players like Suryakumar Yadav and Shardul Thakur in the team for the mega event.
Taking his X handle, Ravi Shastri was excited about the team selected for the ODI World Cup in India and wants them to enjoy the game, regardless of the outcome later in the mega event.
“Excellent team picked. Come on Guys get out there and kick some b***. Win. Lose. Part and Parcel. Bottom line. ENJOY. Respect,” Ravi Shastri wrote on his X Handle.
Excellent team picked. Come on Guys get out there and kick some butt. Win. Lose. Part and Parcel. Bottom line. ENJOY. Respect 🇮🇳 https://t.co/KOlNlVaXDN
— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) September 5, 2023
Indian veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also wished the Indian players to do well on home soil and backed them to lift the trophy at home. The 36-year-old was not considered for selection despite having good numbers on home soil in the white-ball format of the game.
“Go well boys! Home World Cup is always special and let’s ( all of us ) back them to bring it home,” Ashwin posted.
Go well boys!
Home World Cup is always special and let’s ( all of us ) back them to bring it home🏆🏆 #ICCWorldCup2023 https://t.co/YUyvfXEQ3p— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) September 5, 2023
Indian cricket team has not been performing well in ICC competitions lately. They failed to win the 2023 WTC final and have not won any global tournament since their 2013 victory in the Champions Trophy under the leadership of MS Dhoni. They will strive to give their best in front of their home crowd this time around.
India will play their first match of the World Cup against Australia on Sunday, October 8th, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The highly-anticipated match between India and Pakistan is scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 14, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.