“As of now, there are no changes” - Rahul Dravid on Team India’s World Cup 2023 squad
Team India head coach Rahul Dravid has stated that, as of now, there are no changes to the 15-member squad picked for the 2023 ODI World Cup. He added that modifications in the squad, if any, will be communicated officially.
The Men in Blue are sweating over the fitness of all-rounder Axar Patel. The cricketer picked up a left quadriceps strain during the Asia Cup Super 4 match against Bangladesh. He missed the final of the tournament as well as the three-match ODI series against Australia.
In Axar’s absence, veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was recalled to the ODI team for the series against Australia and played in the first two matches. At a post-match conference following India’s 66-run loss in the third ODI in Rajkot, Dravid was asked about possible changes in India’s World Cup squad, keeping the September 28 deadline in mind.
“We’ll have to wait for an official confirmation on a decision on that. The NCA is in touch with the selectors, they are in touch with Ajit [Agarkar]. I wouldn’t want to make any comments on that. If there are any changes, they you guys will hear about it officially. As of now, there are no changes,” the coach replied.
Axar has been a key member of India’s white-ball squads over the last couple of seasons. His lower-order batting has even won the team a couple of close matches.
“Each venue will be different” - Dravid on dew factor during World Cup
Dew is likely to play a role during the upcoming World Cup in India. And, while Dravid admitted the same, he pointed out that conditions won’t be similar at all the venues.
According to the former India captain, the unpredictability factor will make the World Cup even more exciting.
“It’s a big country, India, and there are many venues. It’s hard to say that it’s going to be the same everywhere. I think each venue will be different, each day will be different. It’s really one of the hardest things to predict with the dew. I’ve played in games where we come to practice the day before the game and the ground is soaked. On the day of the game, sometimes there’s no dew - people say when the clouds come in, there’s less dew," Dravid said.
“I am actually not an expert and sometimes we get it wrong. But certainly, as the tournament goes on, in some venues it will be a factor and in some venues, it may not. It’s going to make it all the more interesting because it’s going to be hard to predict,” the 50-year-old added.
India will play two warm-up matches ahead of the World Cup, the first of which will be against England in Guwahati on September 30.