This year, India is hosting two major cricket tournaments: the ODI World Cup and the Asian Games. The ODI World Cup will happen from October 5 to November 19, while the Asian Games will also take place in September-October. The Indian cricket team has been announced for both events. However, some star players, including Shikhar Dhawan, didn’t make it to either team.
Rohit Sharma Leads the Charge
Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, the Indian cricket team won the Asia Cup in 2023. Now, they have the Asian Games and ODI World Cup ahead of them, both on their home turf. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has unveiled the teams for these tournaments.
Captaincy Surprises: Dhawan’s Omission
One of the biggest surprises is that Shikhar Dhawan, a 37-year-old explosive opener, didn’t find a place in either team. Some believed he might captain the Indian team for the Asian Games in China, but that didn’t happen. Instead, Ruturaj Gaikwad was chosen as the captain. Even for the ODI World Cup, Dhawan didn’t make the cut, which surprised many. Dhawan expressed his understanding and support for the decision, saying he’s happy for Ruturaj Gaikwad and the young players in the squad.
Chahal’s Unfortunate Exclusion
Yuzvendra Chahal, a star leg spinner who had been performing well in T20 matches for India, was also left out. Before the Asia Cup, Chahal was part of the ODI series against the West Indies, leading to hopes of his selection for the World Cup. However, he was not selected for the Australia series and was also kept out of the Asian Games.
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Sanju Samson’s Struggles
Wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson has had opportunities with the Indian team but hasn’t delivered memorable innings. In contrast, Ishan Kishan scored a double century in an ODI against Bangladesh. When KL Rahul was injured, Sanju had a chance to shine, but Rahul made a strong comeback with a century against Pakistan in the Asia Cup. As a result, Sanju didn’t get a chance in either the World Cup or the Asian Games.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s Decline
Star fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar was a match-winner for India, but his form declined, and he struggled to take wickets. Meanwhile, other bowlers like Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, and Prasidh Krishna secured their places in the team. Due to his poor form, Bhuvneshwar was left out of both the World Cup and the Asian Games. His last ODI match was on January 21, 2022, while he played his last T20 match on November 22, 2022. His last Test match was in 2018 against South Africa. In that match, he contributed 63 runs and took 4 wickets.
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Team India Squad for World Cup 2023:
Rohit Sharma (captain), Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mohd. Shami, Akshar Patel and Shardul Thakur.
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Indian men’s cricket team for the 19th Asian Games:
Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul Tripathi, Tilak Verma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Shivam Mavi, Shivam Dubey, Prabhsimran Singh. (wk).
Standby Players: Yash Thakur, Sai Kishore, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Sai Sudarshan.
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