Anurag Kumar
Indian captain Rohit Sharma, fresh off an impressive series victory in the Caribbean, is now focusing on the broader picture. Under the direction of the veteran opener, India will commence its bid for a third 50-over world title. In October and November, India will be hosting the One Day International (ODI) World Cup for the first time since 2011.
The last time India won the World Cup was when the Men in Blue hosted the 50-over competition. The cricket powerhouse is also anxious to end its trophy drought in domestic ICC competitions. In the absence of premier batsmen Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant, an injury-plagued squad competed in the ICC World Test Championship final. Though India will be without Pant for the remainder of the 2023 season, the ODI World Cup holders remain hopeful that superstars Iyer and Rahul will return from lengthy injury layoffs to bolster India’s squad.
‘After Yuvi, nobody has come and settled down’
Speaking on the margins of a La Liga event in Mumbai, India’s captain Rohit discussed India’s No. 4 batting dilemma and gave legendary all-rounder Yuvraj Singh an honourable mention. “As you can see, No. 4 has been a problem for us for a long time. No one has settled in after Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh). “However, Shreyas has batted there for a long time and performed well; his statistics are outstanding,” Rohit said.
‘Injuries have given Iyer a bit of trouble’
Iyer was ruled out of the ODI series against Australia due to an ongoing back injury. The star batsman had back surgery in London earlier this year, and the middle-order player missed the WTC final against Australia. The 28-year-old last played an ODI for India in January at the Greenfield International Stadium against Sri Lanka.
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“Unfortunately, ailments have caused him some difficulty. In all honesty, this is what has transpired over the past four to five years. Many of these men have been injured, and there is always a new player on the pitch. “Therefore, no one has been able to settle down, and once someone becomes fit, he assumes that position,” Rohit explained.
