Not for the first time, the Indian team management has yet to identify a settled squad as a World Cup fast approaches.
When the team was announced for the 2019 Cricket World Cup, there was a surprise in store as Ambati Rayudu was left out in favour of Vijay Shankar. Then chief selector M.S.K. Prasad justified Vijay Shankar’s inclusion, stating that the all-rounder brought in a “three-dimensional” flavour. That did not go down well with a miffed Rayudu.
The 2023 Cricket World Cup is only six weeks away, and once again, there is no clarity on who will don a key role. The middle-order slot is the most pressing concern. It is the injury status of Shreyas Iyer and K.L. Rahul that has caused this dilemma.