‘Kick some…’: Shastri fired when IND revealed the WC team, says eliminated Ashwin… | cricket

Ajit Agarkar, chief selector at BCCI, on Tuesday announced India’s 15-man squad for the 2023 World Cup later this year. Wicketkeeper-KL Rahul, who was injured and unavailable for selection during the first two matches of the ongoing AFC Asian Cup 2023, has been included in the squad while the exclusion of Sanju Samson is among the key developments.

Apart from Samson, notable names not finding a place in the squad are spinner Yusvendra Chahal and all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin. However, a number of former cricketers have said that this is perhaps the strongest team India could field, and former coach Ravi Shastri has emphatically declared his support for the team. “Excellent team picked. Come on guys get out there and kick some people. Wins. Loses. Integral. Minimal. Enjoy. ‘Respect,'” Shastri said on his X-handle.

Ravichandran Ashwin also wished the team well. “Well done guys! A World Cup on our soil is always a special tournament and let’s (all of us) support them to bring it home,” he said on his fist. Ashwin may be recognized as one of the greatest spinners of all time, but he was never considered a candidate for selection in the run-up to the announcement. He played his last ODI in January last year. Ashwin has taken 151 wickets in 113 ODIs, having made his debut in November 2011.

Rahul is scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka ahead of India’s Super 4 matches which start on September 9 against Pakistan. Agarkar said the 31-year-old had managed to prove his fitness in the NCA in terms of batting and wicket-keeping.

The selectors have also named Ishaan Kishan as the second wicket-keeper, and captain Rohit Sharma hasn’t ruled out the possibility of both Kishan and Rahul playing at number 11 if the situation demands it. The selection of both Rahul and Kishan means there is no room for Sanju Samson, who is currently in Sri Lanka as a reserve to travel to the Asian Cup.

Shreyas Iyer, who played against Pakistan in the Asian Cup, finished one place in the middle-order, and there was a two-way tie for the remaining spot between Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma. However, Suryakumar was preferred over the youngster despite the former not getting a good performance in ODI matches. The 32-year-old faltered in the three-match ODI series against the West Indies recently, but the selectors took into account Mumbaikar’s explosive ability with the bat.