The Rohit Sharma-led Team India is dominating the Cricket World Cup 2023 currently. The Men In Blue have won all their five matches so far and are the only unbeaten team in the tournament.
India’s unbeaten streak of five games included victories over Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Australia, and New Zealand, the team that had knocked them out in the 2019 semi-final.
India have used all their 15 players at least once. Nobody was dropped; but because of illness to Shubman Gill and recent ankle injury to Hardik Pandya, India have had to tinker with their first-choice playing XI and combination a bit. Barring Suryakumar Yadav, who got run out for only 2 runs, all other 14 players have performed well at least once.
The Cricket World Cup 2023 will be a turning point in the careers of many. For the youngsters, this could propel them to newer heights, while for many players in their mid and late 30s, the WC 2023 could well be the last time they feature in ODI cricket.
There are 3 players in the current Indian squad for whom the World Cup 2023 is the last opportunity to play ODI cricket and they are likely to be dropped after the tournament from the ODI format.
These 3 Indian players are likely to be dropped from ODI team after Cricket World Cup 2023:
R Ashwin
In all likelihood, the World Cup 2023 will be the last ODI tournament for senior off-spinner R Ashwin. Ashwin is 37 years old, and he got recalled into the ODI side just ahead of the World Cup 2023 because Washington Sundar had been dealing with injuries over the past year and couldn’t get enough game time in the ODI side. With the tournament in India, R Ashwin got a recall.
But now, after this tournament, the ODIs will take a backseat and Sundar is expected to get more chances in white-ball cricket as India prepare for next year’s T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Mohammed Shami
Mohammed Shami features mostly in the Test team but gets a recall in the white-ball teams when a World Cup comes around. Due to fitness concerns and the need of rest to the fast bowler, Shami is mostly rested from white-ball series against weaker teams to keep him fresh for important assignments.
However, now it is very much likely that India will move away from Mohammed Shami in white-ball cricket after the conclusion of the World Cup 2023. Shami is 35 years old, and India need him more in Test cricket than in white-ball matches as India have a growing list of emerging young pacers who can take the mantle over from Shami.
Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav is the only member of this 15-man squad over whom there was a big cloud of form and record in ODI cricket. While the management was sure to back him in the ODI team, knowing what he could do on his day, the fans were reluctant to put confidence in Suryakumar Yadav, even though he had hit a couple of impressive half-centuries last month against Australia.
Suryakumar Yadav is 33 years old. After the Cricket World Cup 2023, the selectors and the management – the same one or a new one – will need to think about whether they see Suryakumar Yadav in their plans for the 2025 Champions Trophy and the 2027 World Cup. Suryakumar Yadav needs to put up a good performance in the Cricket World Cup 2023 if he gets a chance, otherwise, he is likely to be dropped from the ODI side.
