The previous two cycles of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy happened in Australia. Before 2017, it was in 2013 that the tournament was held in India. It is interesting to note that a few players who participated in 2013 will also play a decade later in 2023. Most of the cricketers might even be playing their last BGT. On that note, here, we take a look at four Indians who were a part of the 2013 BGT in India and will also feature in the 2023 BGT in India.
1) Cheteshwar Pujara
A few months ago, Pujara was dropped from the Indian Team. However, after a strong show in the County Championship, the Saurashtra cricketer was included in the squad. Having scored a century against Bangladesh, his inclusion in the BGT was inevitable.
A decade ago, India was busy in the transition period in the batting department. The No.3 slot was hard to fill and Pujara did not take a long time to show that he was the best option to play here. Interestingly, in the 2010 edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India, too, Pujara played a game.
2) Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is one of the Indians who were a part of the 2013 BGT in India and will also feature in the 2023 BGT in India. Of course, Virat Kohli was a part of the squad in 2023, too. However, at that time, he was struggling to leave a mark in Tests.
Cut to 2023 and Virat is now playing as a highly accomplished batter. That said, he will have to find form in this campaign. While he has done well in ODIs and T20Is recently, he still needs to get a big score in the five-day format. For his future, as well, this series will be extremely vital.
3) R Ashwin
There were a lot of discussions on how India can move on from the likes of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh. The duo was extremely important in the spin attack for a long time. However, with the arrival of R Ashwin, a lot of problems were solved.
At the moment, Ashwin is the most experienced spinner in the Indian Team. Australia has a lot of left-handers such as David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Travis Head and Alex Carey in the squad. Since Ashwin is brilliant against lefties, his role in the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be immense. Looking at India’s combination, it won’t be a surprise if Ashwin bats at No.7. In this case, he will also have to do well with the bat, something he has anyways been doing recently.
4) Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja is also one of the Indians who were a part of the 2013 BGT in India and will also feature in the 2023 BGT in India. After a long break, Ravindra Jadeja will be a part of the Indian Team. He recently proved his fitness in the Ranji Trophy game against Tamil Nadu.
India’s balance relies a lot on Jaddu. On his day, in Tests, Jadeja can pull off match-winning performances with both the bat and the ball. This is a top trait to have and Jaddu is one of the very few players who can make it happen in world cricket right now.
