KL Rahul included in provisional squad for ODI World Cup, Sanju Samson misses out: Reports

As per reports, BCCI has announced the 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023. Chief Ajit Agarkar flew to Sri Lanka to hold a discussion where he met Indian captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid and picked the squad. The meeting took place after the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2023 game in Pallekele which was washed out after the first innings in which Team India was all out for 266 runs.

• KL Rahul has been given a green signal to play by the medical team
• Sanju Samson is not included in India's World Cup squad
• No place for Yuzvendra Chahal

READ: 'It is going to be tough for him': Sunil Gavaskar gives hard-hitting verdict on KL Rahul

KL Rahul preferred over Sanju Samson

According to reports, the selectors have shown faith in KL Rahul while Sanju Samson has missed out on a spot. Along with Samson, Tilak Varma and Prasidh Krishna, who are in Sri Lanka at the moment for the aforementioned Asia Cup, also didn’t find a place in the World Cup squad.

All-rounders Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Shardul Thakur have retained their spots and Shubman Gill. Shreyas Iyer and Suryakuamar Yadav have been picked to strengthen the middle order. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah were the automatic choices. 

In the bowling department, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj. Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav also made it to the squad.

Kuldeep is India's highest wicket-taker in ODIs in 2023, taking 22 wickets in 11 matches. Kuldeep and Ravindra Jadeja will be India's two first-choice spinners.

This will be the second World Cup for Kuldeep as he had played 7 matches for India in the 2019 World Cup, picking up 6 wickets in England.

The selectors and the management thought deeply about the third spinner and zeroed in on left-arm spinner Axar Patel, whom they thought will also give a bit more depth in batting if needed.

In that context, veterans R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal, who had plucked 12 wickets from 8 matches in the 2019 World Cup, will miss the cut.

Team India provisional squad for World Cup

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

(With inputs from PTI)