Six Indian cricketers who earned their maiden call-up for ICC Cricket World Cup

India squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 got announced on September 5, 2023.

On September 5, 2023, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) senior selection committee chief Ajit Agarkar and captain Rohit Sharma announced the 15-member team India squad for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023.

India will be the solo hosts of the 50-overs World Cup for the very first time, and the ICC event will begin on October 5 with New Zealand taking on defending champions England in the tournament opener in Ahmedabad.

India will begin their tournament against Australia on October 8 in Chennai, and after facing Afghanistan on October 11, they will clash with Pakistan in Ahmedabad on October 14.

Men in Blue featured the same members who had been chosen for the Asia Cup 2023 tournament, barring Prasidh Krishna, Tilak Varma, and Sanju Samson. However, there are six cricketers who will be making their World Cup debuts for India in the 2023 tournament.

Here are 6 Indian cricketers who earned their maiden call-up for the ICC Cricket World Cup:

1. Shubman Gill:

Shubman Gill is most likely to open the batting with Rohit Sharma in World Cup 2023, and this will be the first time he plays in any senior ICC event. Gill was part of the Indian team that won the U-19 World Cup in 2018 and was named player of the tournament.

He has had a brilliant 2023 in ODIs, as he became the fastest Indian to reach the 1500-runs milestone in the format in 29 innings, the same number of matches. Earlier, he had hit a double-hundred against New Zealand as well.

2. Ishan Kishan:

Ishan Kishan has wowed Indian cricket fans and experts alike with his recent innings against Pakistan on a difficult track in Pallekele in the ongoing Asia Cup 2023. He scored a brilliant fifty, which was his fourth consecutive in ODIs.

Kishan has primarily opened the batting for India and has been possibly picked as an opener in the World Cup squad, but he has shown the ability to bat at No. 5 as well and might be picked ahead of KL Rahul himself when India begins their tournament.

3. Shreyas Iyer:

Shreyas Iyer made his India debut in 2017 and made the No. 4 spot his own with close to 900 runs in ODIs since 2019 at the said batting position. However, his progress was halted due to a back injury that required surgery, and now that he has achieved the necessary fitness, he made his ODI comeback against Pakistan.

He will be a crucial cog in the Indian batting lineup, as he has the ability to dominate the spinners in the middle-overs and churn out runs at a good pace.

4. Suryakumar Yadav:

Many would say Suryakumar Yadav was lucky to be picked in the World Cup squad, as his ODI numbers are not good with just over 500 runs in 25 matches. This, when compared to his T20I numbers, feels like the Mumbai batter has not cracked the code in ODIs.

He won’t be the first-choice pick in the playing XI with KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer back in the mix, and it remains to be seen how well he does when he gets a chance to perform in the World Cup.

5. Shardul Thakur:

Shardul Thakur was picked by the BCCI selection committee to provide a backup pace all-rounder option for Hardik Pandya. Shardul has a knack for going for runs in a heap, but he still manages to pick up wickets at crucial times as well.

He can whip the long handle with the bat to score quick runs and, if needed, play a supporting role for an established batter. He, along with Axar Patel, has been picked to provide a batting option at the No. 8 position.

6. Mohammed Siraj:

Mohammed Siraj will be making his ODI World Cup debut for India in the upcoming edition, which begins on October 5. Siraj, after a horrendous debut, has become a vital cog of the Indian bowling unit, especially after they missed Jasprit Bumrah for almost a year.

He has 46 wickets in 26 ODIs, with a best of 4/32 and an economy of 3.26. He will be tasked with bowling the middle overs with Hardik Pandya and picking wickets when Rohit Sharma brings him on.