'I remember VVS Laxman': Ex-IND players explain why India did not pick talented star

The ICC One-Day International World Cup will begin on October 5, 2023, in India. On Tuesday, September 5, 2023, Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar declared the official Indian team for the competition. According to the schedule, Australia and India will play on October 8 in Chennai to start their World Cup journey. The team's vice-captain is Hardik Pandya, and Rohit Sharma has been named as the team's captain. The 15-person team will represent India at the ICC ODI World Cup in 2023.

3 things you need to know 

• ICC ODI World Cup's first match will take place between England and New Zealand
• Teams are announcing their provisional; squads for the competition
• Arshdeep Singh has been left out of India’s World Cup squad 

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Sanjay Bangar makes a huge statement about Arshdeep’s exclusion from the squad

According to Sanjay Bangar, the removal of Arshdeep Singh, the left-arm seamer from India's World Cup roster in 2023 is due to their perceived inability to match the skills and abilities of Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami. On Tuesday, September 5, the selectors finalised a 15-man preliminary roster for the event, which includes three specialist pacers as well as Shardul Thakur and Hardik Pandya as seam-bowling all-rounders. During a Star Sports talk, Bangar expressed his thoughts on the lack of a left-arm seamer. He said: 

"The team has done their preparation with a combination and a plan for the last two years. So you need to stick with those plans. Yes, there is a wishlist that you have a fast bowler like that, but will that fast bowler be able to compete with Siraj or Shami, because these two players have that quality?"

Bangar gave the example of VVS Laxman

Using VVS Laxman as an example, the former Indian all-rounder emphasised that countless outstanding players had missed out on the opportunity to compete in the global event, stating:

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"Unfortunately, many good players miss out on the World Cup. I remember VVS Laxman was in good form in 2003, but he didn't get a place because of the team combination."

Bangar went on to emphasise the fact that the ICC ODI World Cup is once in a life-time opportunity for most of the players, as it comes only once every four years. He claimed that the players are required to give their best performances in the tournament year to increase their chances of being part of the squad.

Piyush Chawla on why Arshdeep wasn't included

"If we don't have the left-arm option, if we check the entire lot, Arshdeep seems to be the best option. However, if you compare Arshdeep with the three frontline fast bowlers we have picked, these three have a great track record and have a lot of experience."

"You want to go with your most experienced bowlers to a tournament like the World Cup because when the pressure situation comes, it is not that easy to cope with it. So that is why I feel Arshdeep is not there here and the three extremely experienced frontline seamers are there."