This year, in October and November, India will host the 2023 ODI World Cup. Former India’s Chief selector, Krishnamachari Srikkanth, left out two major players from his list of 20 probables.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) reportedly settled on a twenty-man probables list for the 2023 World Cup last week, and the players on that list would be given regular playing time in the lead-up to the major competition. Since then, cricket fans and former players have theorized about which names may or might not be on the list. In addition, India’s former selector and 1983 World Cup champion Krishnamachari Srikkanth has spoken out about the topic.
Srikkanth discussed the 20-man squad in depth with his native broadcasting network Star Sports, naming two cricketers he thinks aren’t good enough to be in the probables.
“Shubman Gill and Shardul Thakur, two of the players, won’t be on my list,” Srikkanth said.
Gill was a member of India’s ODI squad when Rohit Sharma was being rested for the T20 World Cup last year, but he was left out of the senior Indian team’s ODI roster when they returned to play against Bangladesh last month. After Shikhar Dhawan was dropped for the home ODIs against Sri Lanka, Gill was reinstated to the team.
Meanwhile, Shardul Thakur did get some playing time in the ODIs against Bangladesh, but he was left off the team’s roster for the next series against Sri Lanka.
Srikkanth noted parallels between his likely twenty-man roster and the 2011 World Cup champions, praising the presence of “impact players.”
Taking place on January 7, 2023 (a Saturday), at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot, the deciding match of the three-game T20I series would pit Hardik Pandya and Team India against Dasun Shanaka and Sri Lanka.
After the first Twenty20 International went in India’s favour, the series was evened up thanks to the visitors’ emphatic triumph in the second T20I. At the MCA Stadium in Pune, Sri Lanka edged out India in a nail-biting victory by a score of 16 runs. While Axar Patel and Shivam Mavi were playing about on the field, Dasun Shanaka protected 21 runs in the final over to lead his team to victory.
