With the long-awaited announcement of the Asia Cup 2023 squad for India, the picture regarding the possible 15-member team for the ODI World Cup later this year, is becoming a bit clearer. In the 17-member squad for the continental cricket tournament, there were a lot of usual suspects picked by the Indian selection committee, while they didn’t shy away from giving an opportunity to a couple of youngsters too.
In the build-up to the ODI World Cup 2023, Rohit Sharma is set to captain India in the Asia Cup, which will be played in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, while his deputy will be Hardik Pandya. This multi-team cricketing spectacle will also mark the return of Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer, who haven’t played an ODI for Team India in months, due to their respective injuries.
While the big players like Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami are a near certainty to play the first match of ODI World Cup 2023 against Australia on October 8, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, some young players won’t have the similar opportunity in all likelihood. With that, SportsTiger looks at three Indian players who might not be in the 15-member squad for the ODI World Cup 2023 even after getting picked for the Asia Cup.
1. Axar Patel
Axar Patel, the Indian all-round cricketer, has been a part of the ODI setup for the better part of the last 10 years. But still, he has managed to play only 52 matches in the format, staying in the shadow of the premier all-round cricketer Ravindra Jadeja, who has been an institution for India in the 50 overs cricket with the bat, ball, and in the field for a long time.
During his 52 ODI appearances for Team India, Axar Patel has picked up 58 wickets at an average of 31.48 and an economy of 4.51, while scoring only 413 runs in 32 innings at an average of 18.77. With such underwhelming numbers, it’s highly unlikely that the Indian selectors will add the 29-year-old to the ODI World Cup squad, unlike his inclusion in the Asia Cup squad.
