The ODI World Cup 2023 starts on October 5 in India with England and New Zealand clashing in the opener. Interestingly, this would be a rematch of the final from the previous edition that England won on a boundary count after a tied super over. Leading up to the marquee event, Team India announced their 15-member squad on Tuesday, September 5. Based on the announcement, here are the three Indian players to watch out for in the ODI World Cup 2023.
1. Jasprit Bumrah
Kickstarting this list is India’s pace ace Jasprit Bumrah. After being sidelined for almost a year, Bumrah made his comeback in the series against Ireland. To top it, he also captained the side and led them to a series whitewash. Bumrah was thoroughly impressive in his outings during the tour of Ireland. He is certainly one player that Indian fans should keep an eye on. The fact that Bumrah has not yet been tried against challenging opponents is what increases the excitement around him. India did not bowl in their Asia Cup opener against Pakistan and the ace pacer called off the game against Nepal to attend the birth of his son. The upcoming games are promising for the premier fast bowler.
3. Kuldeep Yadav
The excitement around India’s premier wrist spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, is similar. The fact that he was favoured above players like Yuzvendra Chahal speaks volumes about the belief the management has in him. Yadav has successfully delivered each time he was given a chance. He was impressive in the recent tour of the West Indies which also featured a ‘Player of the Match’ outing. Kuldeep is in a great string of form. If he continues the same, he could be Rohit Sharma’s favoured weapon to break key partnerships.
3. Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan has been the most exciting prospect for India. He was India’s most successful experiment in the West Indies tour when asked to open the batting for the ‘Men in Blue’. He scored a half-century in each of the three games and proved his mettle as an opener. Secondly, he was asked to bat in the middle-order in India’s Asia Cup 2023 opener against Pakistan. At a moment when India were struggling following a top-order collapse, it was Kishan who stitched a partnership with Hardik Pandya to rescue the innings. Like Kuldeep, Kishan is also a player in red-hot form and the timing is just perfect with the World Cup around the corner.