'He holds such an important key for India': AUS legend lauds 'high quality' Indian player

The ICC One-Day International World Cup will be held in India from October 5, 2023, and the BCCI officially announced the Indian team on Tuesday, September 5, 2023. According to the schedule, India's World Cup campaign will start with a match against Australia on October 8 in Chennai. Rohit Sharma will be the captain, and Hardik Pandya will be the vice-captain in the 15-member squad for the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. 

3 things you need to know 

• Team India beat Nepal by 10 wickets in the Asia Cup 
• Rohit Sharma and his team have qualified for the Super Four 
• IND vs PAK will now take place on September 10, 2023

Also Read: 'He has to be put under knife': Ex-cricketer questions Shreyas Iyer's place in WC squad

Tom Moody picks his 2 key players from the Indian squad 

India confirmed their 15-man squad for the upcoming Asia Cup on Tuesday. Players like  Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, and Prasidh Krishna—all of these players were highly expected to be included in the squad. During the press conference, both skipper Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar stated that the group is well-balanced. Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody, on the other hand, believes that Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami's fitness will determine India's performance in the crucial competition. Talking on Star Sports,  he said: 

Yes, I think they have a side that’s good enough to win the World Cup. I think home advantage will be a big one for India, but I bring that point around the fitness. The fitness of Bumrah and Shami is absolutely key to me as both of them are high-quality new ball bowlers,

I think a lot of it depends on the fitness and longevity of Bumrah. I think he holds such an important key for India because he has such high quality and impacts the game early and also closes the innings. And I see that it’s basically going to be a difficult World Cup with regards to making sure that you keep your bowlers fit. It’s a long campaign, but India certainly have got the diversity in their side. It’s just the case of them making sure they have their key players fit, particularly their bowlers,

Moody believes that Jasprit Bumrah will play a key role for India in the upcoming ODI World Cup if he stays fit. He encourages Team India to keep their bowlers fit to make the most of their home advantage in the World Cup. Bumrah recently joined the squad during India’s victory in the Ireland series. India won 2-0 and Jasprit Bumrah was named the Player of the Series. 

Also Read: 'Don't get fooled': Ex-selector lambasts BCCI over inclusion of Shadul Thakur in WC squad

India’s squad for the ICC ODI World Cup

India World Cup squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah