Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar has revealed his 15-member squad for the upcoming 2023 ODI World Cup. Amidst the anticipation surrounding India’s selection, Bangar’s choices stand out, especially his decision to include the relatively inexperienced left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh while sidelining all-rounder Shardul Thakur.
As the cricket calendar gears up for the World Cup, scheduled from October 5 to November 19 in India, the buzz around squad selections has been a talking point. Before the main event, India is set to participate in the Asia Cup, and according to BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar, the World Cup lineup will closely resemble the one for the Asia Cup.
Bangar unveiled his favored 15-member squad. His squad for the mega event includes five specialist batters, two wicketkeeper-batters, two spin-bowling all-rounders, one pace-bowling all-rounder, one specialist spinner, and four fast bowlers.
“My specialist batters would be Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, while wicket-keeper batters are Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul,” Bangar told Star Sports. “For spin-bowling all-rounders, I would prefer both left-armers – Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja. One pace bowling all-rounder would be Hardik Pandya, while the specialist spinner would be Kuldeep Yadav.
“The four fast bowlers would be Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh,” Bangar concluded.”
Sanjay Bangar has picked his 15-member Team India squad for the most aniticipated ODI World Cup 2023. pic.twitter.com/4asKgb186Q
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However, Arshdeep’s inclusion caught many off guard. With just three ODIs under his belt, the young left-armer’s experience might seem limited. Surprisingly absent from India’s Asia Cup squad, Arshdeep’s selection is a testament to Bangar’s faith in the player’s potential. Despite his fledgling ODI journey, Arshdeep boasts an impressive T20I record, with 50 wickets in 33 games, an average of 18.98, and an economy rate of 8.48.