The BCCI is set to reveal the lineup for the ODI World Cup 2023 on September 3, as per sources. The final 15 players for the 50-over cricket tournament will be unveiled just ahead of the deadline for provisional squad announcements.
This significant date follows the high-stakes Asia Cup match between India and Pakistan in Kandy. India retains the option to modify the squad until September 28, which is one week before the World Cup commences in Ahmedabad. Worth mentioning, India has a 3-match ODI series with Australia scheduled from September 21 to 27, following the Asia Cup.
Given the uncertainty surrounding the fitness of key players, particularly KL Rahul, India is anticipated to include backup players in the provisional squad.
For the Asia Cup 2023, India introduced a 17-player extended lineup, including a traveling reserve, Sanju Samson, to provide cover for KL Rahul. This decision came after chief selector Ajit Agarkar disclosed that the captain of Lucknow Super Giants had recently encountered a minor injury concern.
After weeks of speculation, India made the inclusion of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul in the Asia Cup squad official, despite their extended periods of injury recovery. In a press statement from August 2021, Agarkar confirmed Iyer’s fitness status while revealing that Rahul had sustained a fresh unrelated injury, putting his availability for India’s opening match against Pakistan in doubt.
Significantly, India participated in two group stage matches during the Asia Cup prior to the deadline for revealing the provisional World Cup squad.
Tilak Varma, a 20-year-old who had an impressive T20I debut in the West Indies, earned a spot in the Asia Cup squad. However, the chances of him playing against Pakistan seem slim, given his lack of experience in ODIs.
Despite a less successful run in ODIs, Suryakumar Yadav retained his place in the squad, while the return of Prasidh Krishna and Jasprit Bumrah, who performed well during their comeback from injuries in the Ireland tour in August, was also notable.
In preparation, India’s players engaged in fitness and skill training at a specialized camp in Alur, near Bengaluru. KL Rahul was observed batting at the nets, and Ishan Kishan, who had shown promise as a wicketkeeper-batsman, focused on honing his keeping skills with fielding coach T Dilip.
Given the limited competitive matches, deciding who to exclude from the provisional ODI squad poses a challenge for India, as there are few opportunities for players to stake their claims.