3 Indian players who need to work on their fielding for 2023 World Cup ft. KL Rahul
The 2023 World Cup starts on October 5. India will play their first match of the tournament against five-time champions Australia on October 8. Ahead of the 2023 World Cup, the Indian team is currently playing a home series against Australia. The first match of the series is underway in Mohali right now.
India have named a strong 15-man squad for the 2023 World Cup. Luckily for the selectors, all first-choice players except Rishabh Pant, were available for selection. Here's a look at India's 15-man squad:
Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Axar Patel, Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav.
The batting and bowling units look quite strong on paper. With some reliable all-rounders also present in the squad, India seem to have all the bases covered. However, the Indian team's fielding has not been the best in recent matches.
During Asia Cup 2023, India dropped a lot of catches against Nepal and Bangladesh. India do have some of the best fielders in the world, but the following three players will have to improve their fielding ahead of the 2023 World Cup.
#1 KL Rahul has struggled on the field ahead of 2023 World Cup
KL Rahul is India's first-choice wicketkeeper for the 2023 World Cup. In one of his interviews, Rahul said that catching is the only skill in cricket which does not require luck. Here's what Rahul said in a conversation with Ranveer Allahbadia:
"Not good. It is the only thing I feel in sport that doesn't need any luck. It is pure practice. You can see the ball coming to you. You have enough time to react. It's a thankless job for bowlers," KL Rahul said.
Rahul has taken some incredible catches in his career, but in the last few months, his wicketkeeping has not been the best. He dropped a simple-looking catch during the ODI series against Bangladesh last year, while in the ongoing ODI against Australia, he missed a run-out chance.
#2 Mohammed Shami
Fast bowler Mohammed Shami is known for his wicket-taking abilities. He is among India's highest wicket-takers in ICC events. However, Shami's fielding has often let the fans down.
During the T20 World Cup 2022 semifinal against England, Shami stopped the ball from crossing the boundary in the deep. However, instead of throwing the ball at the bowler or wicketkeeper's end, Shami decided to pass it on to the next fielder, who missed it. England took two extra runs because of the hilarious error. Shami will aim to do better as a fielder in the 2023 World Cup.
#3 Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer is one of the middle-order batters present in the Indian squad. Iyer recently returned from a lengthy injury break, and it looks like he will have to work a lot on his fielding skills before the 2023 World Cup.
Iyer dropped a catch during the Asia Cup match against Nepal. Earlier today (September 22), he put down a catch of David Warner in the first ODI. The star Indian batter will have to improve his fielding for the World Cup.