With an eye on the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup 2023, the BCCI selectors have shortlisted a core group of players including the likes of Shreyas Iyer, Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul even as the trio continue to near full fitness. Bumrah has been named captain for the Ireland T20I series, whereas Iyer and Rahul were not included in the squad but according to a PTI report, Rahul is nearing full fitness.
The report further adds that the Indian management is desperate for Rahul to get fully fit in the months leading up to the ODI World Cup which is slated to be played from October 5 to November 19.
The Karnataka batter, is reportedly ahead of Shreyas in terms of nearing full fitness, although both of them will be given full opportunities to prove their fitness before the World Cup squad is finalized.
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The deadline to announce the ODI World Cup squad is September 27, BCCI are expected to announce a squad including a core group of players with 18-19 players by September 5, which can then be trimmed down to a squad of the final 15 players.
It is expected that if all the specialist bowlers remain fit, the final choice will boil down to a slot between all-rounder Shardul Thakur and Saurashtra seamer Jaydev Unadkat.
After the experiments made by the Indian management in the West Indies, no further changes will be made and the selectors have zeroed in on a core group of players for the ODI World Cup 2023.
“The selectors and the team management wants to give both Rahul and Shreyas full chance of recovery. Rahul is certainly way ahead in terms of recovery and getting closer to full match fitness,” a BCCI source told PTI on the condition of anonymity.
“But he needs to do match simulation where he is able to keep wickets for 50 overs,” added the source.
“The Instagram videos show that he is doing well but 50 overs of keeping and at least 30 overs of batting in the heat will prove how his operated thigh is holding up in humid conditions,” the source informed further.
The report further added that India’s Asia Cup 2023 squad announcement could be made before the end of this week, or latest by August 16-17.
India’s core group of players for ODI World Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Surykumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan (wk), Axar Patel, Sanju Samson, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Mukesh Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal
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