The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) senior national selection committee revealed the 15-person roster for the 2018 ICC ODI World Cup Squad. Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, and Prasidh Krishna did not make the team, while KL Rahul was given a slot. After the India vs. Pakistan Asia Cup match in Kandy was called off due to rain, the committee, led by Chairman Ajit Agarkar, met with Indian captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid in Sri Lanka to finalise the squad.
Ishan Kishan was selected for the team following a strong middle-order performance, and Rohit Sharma will serve as captain. Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and Suryakumar Yadav are additional important batsmen.
The selection committee and team management included all-rounders Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Shardul Thakur to improve the batting order. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj will lead the pace attack in terms of bowling, and Kuldeep Yadav, a spinner, has also been selected.
Although Rahul’s fitness was a subject of debate, he was added to the team after gaining a medical clearance. Rahul has been engaged in rigorous preparation at Bengaluru’s National Cricket Academy and is anticipated to represent India in the Asia Cup.
The BCCI had until September 5 to submit the final World Cup roster to the International Cricket Council (ICC), but when Rahul was found ineligible, they chose to have the selection committee meeting on September 4.
Rahul had right thigh surgery recently and has been out for the previous three and a half months. He is expected to play wicketkeeper for India in the World Cup. Rahul sustained a small injury, according to Agarkar, who had before disclosed it, which is why Sanju Samson was chosen as a backup.
Agarkar expressed optimism that Rahul would recover in due course and be capable of keeping wickets, given the importance of his position within the team. Rahul’s value as a wicketkeeper-batter was emphasised by him.
Overall, there were no significant selection surprises for the World Cup because the selection committee chose a team mostly from the 18-member Asia Cup roster.
