After hosting and winning the ICC ODI World Cup 2011, India is once again set to organise the biggest cricketing event, after 12 years. The home conditions will surely play their charm, and despite strong competition from top rival nations, the two-time champions are set to win their third title and create history.
The official squad for the upcoming championship is playing across various competitions to gear up for the big games, and the team seems strong enough to keep the trophy home. However, there are a few players, whose absence might affect the Indian team in the tournament that lies less than two weeks away.
Yuzvendra Chahal
The BCCI dropped a bombshell on the Indian fans when they didn’t pick Yuzvendra Chahal for a few important tournaments, including the World Cup 2023. Yuzvendra, or Yuzi, as he is fondly called was a part of the 2019 World Cup squad. Though the 33-year-old hasn’t played any ODI since January 2023, he has a decent record in the format with 121 wickets in 72 matches at an economy of 5.26. In all the games that he has been featured in, Yuzvendra has played a key role in winning many of them for the Indian side.
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Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin is undoubtedly India’s spinning wizard, and the number of matches he has won for the side doesn’t need any special mention. The 36-year-old was India’s consistent player until 2007, but his consistency saw a major drop since then. It was in January 2022 that he played his last ODI before he was picked for India vs Australia’s ODI squad in September 2023.
Out of all the 113 ODI games he has played, the 36-year-old has picked 151 wickets at an economy of 4.94.
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Deepak Chahar
Deepak Chahar made a comeback in the game in the 2023 season of the Indian Premier League. Though Chahar failed to put up a good show with his bowling during the edition, if we have a look at the past matches, the Chennai Super Kings bowling all-rounder has emerged as a reliable swing bowler and handy batter. Since India doesn’t have a backup fast-bowling all-rounder, Chahar’s presence will be missed in case Hardik Pandya gets injured during the campaign.
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Shikhar Dhawan
India veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan has played an instrumental role in the Indian Cricket team over the last 10 years. Not only this, but in recent years, Dhawan filled in as India’s captain or vice-captain, whenever the regular captain has been unable to play, especially in the ODI matches.
Though it’s been quite a long since Dhawan has been spotted in Indian colours, Dhawan has been a consistent IPL player. However, the 37th year’s strike rate has been a major concern, and it was one of the main factors in his initial inclusion from the T20I team.
Shikhar Dhawan has contributed to India’s some of the most prominent wins and having him on the side would have ensured the Men in Blue some of the big wins in the tournament.
