Where does India stand for the ODI World Cup 2023?

ODI cricket has been in the background for much of the previous three years, with the twin T20 World Cups grabbing the spotlight, but it is again back in the spotlight with the ODI World Cup less than a year away. Following the 2019 edition, India has played 48 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), 21 of which are in 2022, and has another 16 bilateral ODIs and an Asia Cup to narrow down their best 15. While numerous incumbents were busy with T20 assignments, other periphery players seized the opportunity that came their way to stake claims. Following the 2019 World Cup, India tried 46 players in all, including 22 debutants. The series against New Zealand will feature an almost full-strength India (Bumrah and Jadeja are still missing due to injury) side kicking off the path to the 2023 World Cup, as we look at who is in contention for the coveted berths.

India’s top three

The three of Rohit, Shikhar, and Kohli constituted the backbone of India’s batting lineup at the previous World Cup, but they played together in 15 of the 48 ODIs since. In the run-up to the past World Cup cycle, India was one of the most conservative batting teams in Powerplay, scoring at 4.89 in the opening ten overs. In the ODIs following the 2019 World Cup, they have been scoring at 5.37 per over in the first ten overs, but when Rohit, Dhawan, and Kohli bat in the top three, the rate decreases to 4.96, which is not statistically different from the previous cycle.

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Dhawan has played the most ODIs for India since the 2019 World Cup (37) but could not score a century, and he is the only hitter with at least ten innings who has a strike rate of less than 90. (82.43). Dhawan’s strike rate falls below 76 in the first ten overs, compared to Rohit (88.18), and Shubman Gill (90.33) since the last ODI WC.

As of now, it seems that Dhawan is not in the plans anymore as he has been left out of two series in a row. Gill and Rohit are the incumbents. If there is one serious contender who is with the squad it is Ishan Kishan. There are no other players who seem to be in the plans at the moment, although the likes of Shaw, and Ruturaj could get games this year in case the selectors decide to look at the other options. Virat Kohli will most certainly retain his spot after his three centuries in the last 4 ODIs he has played.

What about the middle order?

If India’s major weakness in the previous World Cup was a nonexistent middle order, they have several options this time around. With an average of 46.2 and a strike rate of 93.54 since January 2020. Despite his struggles with the short ball, the middle order benefits from his consistency (10 fifty-plus scores in 28 innings), and an aggressive game against spin (SR 95.6) which will augur well for the team in the WC in home conditions. Meanwhile, KL Rahul has excelled in his few opportunities to bat in the middle order, averaging 62.2 with two centuries and a strike rate of 101.3. His strike rate in death overs, though, is the most important statistic at 157.8. (41-50). With KL being preferred as the first-choice wicketkeeper and Pant all set to miss the WC, India’s numbers 4 and 5 looks fixed as of now.

Should the team need any backups they haven’t got many options in terms of experience although, Samson has done really well in his limited opportunities. He could prove not only to be the backup keeper but play as a pure batter in the XI if required.

In 50-over cricket, Suryakumar Yadav has not been able to match his strong T20 performance and Pandya was named as the vice-captain of the ODI team and returning to the XI, Pandya in all likelihood will play the finisher’s role at 6. The other backup option for India at 6 is Deepak Hooda but whether his principal job can withstand the test against strong opposition attacks is still up for debate. In terms of pace bowling allrounder, there is no ready-made backup, the closest is Venkatesh Iyer. He scored 379 runs with a strike rate of 133.92 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021 and took 9 wickets in 6 games. He batted in the middle order for MP, thus he is familiar with the position. In SMAT 2022, he batted in the middle order and scored 189 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 161.53. He also grabbed six wickets in four games before getting hurt. If India is searching for a pace-bowling all-rounder, he is not a bad option. Being a left-handed batter should also aid his cause.

Who bats at 7?

Hardik and Jadeja have both markedly enhanced their batting performances since the WC in 2019, and they can each provide 12-15 overs on any given day. Because those two occupy two spots in the top seven, Rohit has enough bowling options to call on without sacrificing any batting depth. Following a lengthy break from bowling, Hardik has begun to provide overs on a regular basis, whereas Jadeja’s bowling stocks have declined dramatically during this time. However, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar are the two top candidates for Jadeja’s position. Both of them have improved their batting in the last year or so and might push Jadeja for his spot.

What about the spinners?

In one-day internationals, India has used spinners Kuldeep Yadav, Shabaz Ahmed, and Ravi Bishnoi. Yuzvendra Chahal is almost certainly a guaranteed starter in the XI, but the question is whether he should be. Chahal has been one of India’s most expensive bowlers in the middle overs, which is the most important part of an ODI. In 13 innings, he has given away runs at 5.36 in overs 11-40, while Kuldeep has taken 17 wickets in 10 innings at an economy of 4.83.

The other option for India is to try Rahul Chahar, who has a strong record in List-A. He has 80 wickets in 47 List-A games. In the last Vijay Hazare Trophy, he took 9 wickets in 5 innings with an economy of 4.34. He took three wickets and bowled efficiently in India’s lone One-Day International against Sri Lanka last year.

Who could be the pacers?

At the present, the Indian team has been blessed in this aspect. However, the most of the regular pacers have been injured for far too long. Shami, Bumrah, and Prasidh Krishna have all missed a significant amount of cricket. If Bumrah and Shami are healthy and available, they will undoubtedly start in the XI, but if they are not, India must find suitable replacements. Last year, Shardul took the most wickets for the squad, yet he has the worst economy of any Indian bowler who has played as many games as him. He was chosen for his batting abilities, but with the World Cup in India, he could be replaced by a spin-bowling all-rounder.

Siraj has been terrific in one-day internationals and should be included in the squad. “The way Siraj has come up has been outstanding. He has taken the maximum number of wickets in the powerplay, which was an issue for us early. He is always making the batters think, which is a great sign for us going into the World Cup”, Kohli said after his player of the tournament performance against Sri Lanka.

Arshdeep Singh and Yash Dayal are now the sole two bowlers with left-arm variety, although having very little experience in 50-over games. Umran Malik and Kuldeep Sen’s sheer pace can be an X-factor and would persuade the selectors to choose them. The main challenge for the selectors will be to narrow down their choices to 3–4 seamers from this group.

India’s 15 member squad: Rohit, Gill, Kohli, Iyer, KL Rahul, Pandya, Axar, Kuldeep, Umran, Siraj, Shami, Bumrah, Jadeja, Sundar, and Ishan Kishan

Backup options: Ruturaj, Shaw, Samson, Chahal, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep, Prasidh, Venkatesh Iyer, and Shardul Thakur