1. Rohit Sharma(Captain)
Rohit Sharma will be leading the team in 2023’s ICC Cricket World Cup, being the captain of the Indian team, Mumbai Indians. He has played in 17 World Cup matches over the years. Between 2007 and 2021, he has played in all T20 World Cup series.
He has scored 6 centuries, and 3 half-centuries in the World Cup matches so far. Back in 2019, Rohit became the first batsman in the Cricket’s World Cup history to score five 100s in a single edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup. In addition to that victory, he scored 2 centuries in a match on his first appearance as an opening batsman.
If Rohit scores one more century in 2023’s World Cup, he will break Sachin Tendulkar’s record and become the all-time leading century-maker in the history of the ODI World Cup.
2. Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill grew up playing cricket on his farm, then his father moved to Mohali and had his son join the Punjab Cricket Association. There he started his professional cricket career.
Shubman Gill was the vice-captain of India’s Under-19 team in the 2018 ICC Under-19 World Cup. Back then, Shubman was named Player of the Tournament as he scored 418 runs at an average of 104.50. He was also the key player in India’s record fourth world title.
In the most recent Asia Cup, Shubman was the top scorer with a total of 300 runs in six matches. However, he tested positive for dengue before the first match (8th Oct), and he may not be able to play the starter match. Still, he hasn’t been ruled out of India’s opening World Cup match against Australia…in the final list.
3. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli made his debut in 2011 with the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. Back in 2011, he became the second youngest member of India’s squad at the age of 22. In addition, Kohli also won the 2011 World Cup trophy along with the whole team.
Overall, Kohli has played in 45 matches, and 44 innings. He has a total score of 2,278 runs at an average of 56.95, and a strike rate of 88.98. So far, Kohli has scored 6 centuries, and 15 half-centuries in the World Cup, with the best score of 152. Virat is also the leading run-scorer in World Cup history and the only captain to have won three major ICC trophies!
With all this pack set of achievements, Virat Kohli is set to play in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup.
4. Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer is one of the listed players in the 2023 ICC World Cup. The cricketer has represented India in the 2014 Men’s Under-19 World Cup. He was also named one of the three reserve players for India in the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Iyer’s career took off with his college team when he made his T20 debut for Mumbai against Baroda in the 2014 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy season. Shreyas Iyer has never played the ICC World Cup before. He even missed the 2019 ICC World Cup when he was touted as India’s number 4th, but that opportunity never happened to be.
This year, Iyer missed the World Test Championship (WTC) final and the entire IPL 2023 season due to his lower-back injury. The player had a bulging slipped disc which was later fixed by surgery in England. However, he has been selected for the 2023 ICC World Cup to show his skills.
5. KL Rahul
KL Rahul has been a part of India’s squads for multiple ICC Cricket World Cups. He debuted with the 2010 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup. Later, he played in the years 2019 and 2021. This year, KL Rahul has been selected to play for India in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup.
In the 2019 ICC World Cup, Rahul scored 360 runs, including a high score of 110. But later in the 2021 ICC World Cup, KL was the highest run scorer for India, with 194 runs. He also scored the tournament’s joint fastest fifty within 18 balls, against Scotland.
Rahul has been well-known for his right-hand batsmanship who can also keep wicket. He has also been named the vice captain of the Indian squad. The player has scored 5 half-centuries but no century yet. Maybe, he would score one in the 2023’s World Cup?
6. Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan is a left-handed wicket-keeper batsman from Jharkhand whose journey has been quite challenging. For better cricket facilities, relocated himself from Patna to Ranchi. Kishan made his debut at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the 2021’s season.
Kishan also led India at the 2016 Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, where his team completed runner-ups to West Indies. After that, he was named in India’s Twenty20 International (T20I) squad for their home series against England in February 2021. Then, on his debut in March 2021, Kishan won the Player of the Match award. Kishan has been selected for the 2023 ICC World Cup, and he might take the spot of Shubman Gill, in case he doesn’t recover from Dengue.
7. Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav made his ICC World Cup debut with the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. He was called up as a replacement for India’s Test squad against England in July 2021. In November 2021, he was added to India’s squad against New Zealand. Suryakumar was also named the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year in 2022, after his exceptional performance on the ground.
Suryakumar holds the record of 3 fifties in six innings in the ICC World Cup. He also has another record of scoring the 4th fastest half-century by an Indian batsman at a T20 World Cup. Yadav was also the highest T20I run-scorer in 2022. He had an average of 47.95 and a strike rate of 188.37 in his game.
This year, Suryakumar played 11 T20 matches and scored 433 runs in 10 innings. He had a strike rate of 150.3 and an average of 54.12. And now, he’s been selected to play in the 2023 ICC World Cup, as the official list suggests.
8. Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya has played in multiple ICC World Cups including the 2016 T20, the 2019 World Cup, and the 2021 ICC Men’s T20. However, he has performed well only in the 2019 World Cup.
During the 2021 World Cup, Pandya was name in India’s squad with a lot of expectations but he failed to make the impact which was expected. He scored 11 against Pakistan, which India lost by 10 wickets.
However, Pandya is the first Indian to take four wickets and score 30 runs in the T20I in the same match. In the World T20, Hardik partnered with Virat Kohli for a 113-run fifth wicket partnership which was crucial to India beating Pakistan.
9. Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja made his debut in the cricket world when he played Under-19 cricket for India in 2005. Jadeja was later picked for the 2006 Under-19 World Cup where made his first-class debut between 2006-07.
Ravindra Jadeja was then, the vice-captain of the 2008 Under-19 Cricket team. Then, he played in the 2019 ICC World Cup where he scored 134 runs with an average of 77.00. Jadeja had a strike rate of 130.50. This year, Jadeja is set to play for the 2023 ICC World Cup tournament.
10. Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin is a skiller and versatile bowler who is well-known for his off-spin, carrom ball, and arm ball. He is known to be the only specialist off-spinner in India’s World Cup squad. Ravichandran Ashwin has played in 3 World Cups — the 2011 ODI, the 2016 T20, and the 2023 World Cup.
In the 2011 ODI World Cup, Ashwin played two games and was part of the Indian team that won the World Cup. In 2016, he played 5 games. In 2023, Ashwin replaced Axar Patel in India’s final squad due to Patel’s injury.
11. Shardul Thakur
Shardul Thakul got his fame in 2006 when he smashed 6 sixes in an over during a school match and took a five-wicket haul in the same game. Later, he joined the executive club of Sir Garfield Sobers and Ravi Shastri.
Shardul is a pace-bowling all-rounder who is also handy with the bat. In the past three years, Shardul has become the first Indian bowler to take 50 wickets. There are only 7 moments in 33 ODIs since the 2019 World Cup since he’s gone wicketless. Since the 2019 ODI World Cup, he has picked 57 wickets in 38 innings at an average of 28.30.
Thakur made his ODI debut in August 2017, against Sri Lanka. In the recent ODI series in the West Indies, he was the highest wicket-taker with eight scalps in three games. With Shardul’s amazing bowling skills, he’s been set to play in the 2023 ICC World Cup as well.
12. Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah was named one of the five exciting talents making their World Cup debut by the ICC, after his debut in 2019. Jasprit played in his 50th ODI match in India’s opening match of the tournament against South Africa in June 2019, when he got this tag.
The cricketer is well-known for his precision, unorthodox slinging action, disciplined line and length, and ability to execute slower deliveries. Overall, Jasprit has played 30 Tests, 72 ODIs, and 60 T20Is for India since his international debut. Initially, he was named in India’s T20 World Cup squad but later, he was ruled out of the 2022 T20 World Cup. Anyway, the good news is that he’s making his comeback in the 2023 ICC World Cup with all the enthusiasm!
Counting Bumrah’s achievements in the ICC over the years, he’s been ranked 10th in the ICC Test bowling rankings with 756 points. In the ICC ODI bowling, he has been ranked 28th with 552 points. Lastly, in the ICC T20 bowling, he’s been ranked 84th with 411 points.
13. Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep Yadav has taken part in the ICC World Cup once in the 2019 squad. Kuldeep played his 50th ODI against England in June 2019. In December 2019, he became the first Indian bowler to take hat-tricks in ODIs against West Indies.
The 2019 World Cup was not as huge as it could’ve been for Kuldeep, with only 6 scalps from 7 games. Actually, he stayed below the radar despite consistently taking wickets in his first India Under-19 game.
14. Mohammed Shami
Mohammed Shami was India’s leading fast bowler in the 2015 World Cup. The bowler was one of the highest wicket-takers in the 2015 tournament. What was even shocking that he played the World Cup with a knee injury.
Shami has many other achievements as well in the World Cup history. He’s the second fastest Indian bowler to take 50 ODI wickets. In addition, Shami is the first Indian bowler to take consecutive three four-wicket hauls in the World Cup. His other records include 6 ‘Man of the Match’ awards and 25 sixes in Tests. Well-known for his wicket-taking skills, Shami is a part of the 2023 ICC World Cup Indian squad.
15. Mohammed Siraj
In the beginning of 2023, Siraj was ranked 137th in the ODI bowling rankings. However, he made his spot at the top of the rankings as the year is coming to an end. Not only this, he’s been picked for the Hyderabad U-23 side in 2015. Then, he caught the attention of Sunrisers Hyderabad during the 217 IPL auction and now, he’s been selected for the ICC World Cup 2023.
Conclusion
Some players were ruled out of the 2023 ICC World Cup that led to an uncertainty in the air. But the world of cricket is still going strong.
