Ex-India player wants Shikhar Dhawan to be picked for World Cup: 'Even if he doesn't play'

The 2023 edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup is all set to be held in India later this year. Preparations are in full swing for the coveted competition that takes place after every four years. India will host the tournament from October 5 to November 19 across 10 stadiums in 10 different cities. This is the first time India will host the 50-over World Cup alone. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has already announced the schedule for the event. 

3 things you need to know

• The World Cup 2023 will kickstart with a match between England and New Zealand
• The opening match and the final of the competition will take place at Narendra Modi Stadium
• India will start its campaign against five-time champions Australia on October 8

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Jaffer unveils his predicted India World Cup squad

Former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer has revealed his preferred 15-member Indian squad for the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023. For the opening slots, Jaffer picked Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Shikhar Dhawan, considering Dhawan as the backup opener. Despite Dhawan not being part of the current squad for the West Indies series, Jaffer believes he can play a crucial role as a reserve option in the World Cup.

One of the most surprising picks from Jaffer is of Dhawan, who has not played ODIs in a long time. Moving on to the middle order, Jaffer selected Virat Kohli at No. 3, Shreyas Iyer at No. 4, KL Rahul at No. 5, and Hardik Pandya at No. 6. For the spin department, he opted for Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav as his preferred options. Jadeja, Patel, and Kuldeep are all part of the current squad for the West Indies series.

"My three openers will be Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Shikhar Dhawan. Even though Shikhar Dhawan is not going to be picked, I will keep him as the backup opener. Even if he doesn't play at the start, I am okay with that."

After that, Virat Kohli at No. 3 obviously. Shreyas Iyer at No. 4, KL Rahul at No. 5 and Hardik Pandya at No. 6. Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav will be my three spinners in the XI."

As for the fast bowling department, Jaffer chose Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj/Mohammad Shami as the two specialist seamers in his XI, with the latter being rotated depending on the conditions. Jaffer further included Shardul Thakur and Sanju Samson as backup players, with Samson being the reserve wicketkeeper in place of Rishabh Pant. Samson is another player who has been in and out of cricketing action for India for the past several years. Jaffer named his squad during a discussion on JioCinema. 

"If he bowls, I will definitely try to play three spinners and I will definitely play both Axar and Jadeja because they are all-rounders. My third spinner will obviously be Kuldeep. My fourth seamer will be Shardul Thakur. Sanju Samson will be my backup keeper because I have already picked Shikhar as my third opener."

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Wasim Jaffer's preferred Indian World Cup squad: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammad Shami, Sanju Samson, and Shardul Thakur.

Image: PTI