With just one series remaining, a mere trio of matches, before gearing up for the Asia Cup and swiftly followed by the ODI World Cup a month later, the recent West Indies tour served as a golden opportunity for India’s head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma to delve into their bench strength. The tour offered a stage for testing the team’s backup options and granting more chances to emerging talents. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja brought some clarity by revealing that India’s World Cup squad is well on its way to being formed.
The batting lineup seems to be mostly set in stone, although India’s concern rests on the recovery status of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer. Their potential return could elevate the team’s stature, making them strong contenders for the World Cup trophy. Consequently, the selection headache narrows down to just two spots. Reports from PTI suggest that the team management has earmarked 18-19 players for the 50-over event, but the International Cricket Council (ICC) regulations mandate that only 15 of them can be officially selected.
India squad to be announced by September 5?
Following ICC guidelines, all teams must submit their preliminary squads by September 5. However, the final roster of 15 players must be confirmed by September 27. The window between the preliminary and final submissions allows for strategic changes, but any modifications after September 28 require ICC approval.
As of August 8, only Australia has submitted its preliminary squad, which comprises 18 players, implying that three of them will eventually be omitted from the final team.
Asia Cup and Australia Series
The upcoming Asia Cup and the Australia series stand as pivotal moments in shaping India’s World Cup team. India and Australia share the luxury of making changes to their squads until the last possible moment. The ODI series between these two cricketing giants concludes on September 27, giving them the flexibility to refine their selections. The contest is slated to begin on September 22, shortly after the Asia Cup final, and will feature matches in Mohali, Indore, and Baroda.
While Australia will travel to India with their preliminary World Cup squad before making the final decision, India is expected to carry a contingent of 16-18 players for both the Asia Cup and the home series against Australia. This approach aims to ensure that the final team is chosen based on the best performing and most consistent players.
(With inputs from agencies)