Picking a combined India-England playing 11 ahead of 2023 World Cup clash ft. Virat Kohli, Jos Buttler
After a refreshing six-day break, India will look to continue their winning run at the 2023 World Cup as they face defending champions England at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday.
England have endured a miserable campaign so far, winning a solitary game out of five, with the latest of those seeing them trounced by Sri Lanka by eight wickets in Bengaluru. Their title defense has been on a downward spiral and they need nothing short of a miracle now to proceed to the semifinals.
As for India, they could be all but through to the knockouts with another win on Sunday. They will want to set the record straight against England as well, having last defeated them in a men's ODI World Cup clash back in 2003.
The Men in Blue will do well to be wary of England, who pretty much have nothing to lose at this point and could let their hair down to play with freedom.
Ahead of this Sunday's blockbuster at the 2023 World Cup, we pick a combined playing XI from the two sides.
Openers: Rohit Sharma (c) and Dawid Malan
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, who will assume the same role in this playing XI, has been in superlative form at the 2023 World Cup. He has shown just why he boasts the record for the most sixes in all international cricket with his raw aggression in taking bowlers down in the powerplay and throwing them off their lengths.
Rohit has tallied 311 runs at an average of 62.20 and a blistering strike rate of 133.47 and has looked in control of his resources as skipper.
England's Dawid Malan will partner him in this playing XI. The southpaw has scored 220 runs at an average of 44 so far in the tournament although the majority of it is down to a massive 140 against Bangladesh. Overall, he averages a whopping 57.54 after 26 ODIs.
Middle order: Virat Kohli, Joe Root, KL Rahul, and Jos Buttler (wk)
Virat Kohli and ODIs are a match made in heaven. On the cusp of equalling Sachin Tendulkar's enviable record for most tons in the format, he has been in sensational touch at the 2023 World Cup as 354 runs at an average of 118 would suggest.
Joe Root began the tournament with twin half-centuries but has tapered off since then. That said, he remains a fine player in the format in his own right while also being capable of chipping in with vital overs of off-spin. The sight of Kohli and Root running hard between the wickets in a parallel world is tempting in itself, isn't it?
KL Rahul and Jos Buttler combine to form the engine room of this playing XI at No. 5 and 6. While Rahul has been dismissed just once at the 2023 World Cup for his 177 runs, Buttler remains a destructive match-winner capable of tearing bowling units apart despite the torrid time he has endured with the bat so far.
His ODI strike rate of 117.93 tells you all you need to know about his finishing prowess and he will also don the wicket-keeper's gloves in this XI.
All-rounder: Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja has had a superb run so far at the 2023 World Cup with his relentless accuracy with the ball fetching him seven wickets at an economy rate of 3.97.
He also stepped up with the bat at the first time of asking against New Zealand, steering India home with a stoic unbeaten 39 under tricky circumstances.
In Hardik Pandya's injury-enforced absence, Jadeja's value in the Indian team has only shot up.
Bowlers: David Willey, Mark Wood, Jasprit Bumrah, and Kuldeep Yadav
David Willey bagged the only two Sri Lankan wickets to fall in Bengaluru as England were handed an embarrassing defeat. The left-arm swing bowler has been an outstanding operator with the new ball and has 91 wickets to his name in this format, apart from two half-centuries as a more than handy contributor with the bat.
Mark Wood adds the X-factor to this playing XI with raw pace even as he has looked a pale shadow of himself at the 2023 World Cup. With Willey and India's Jasprit Bumrah taking the new ball, Wood is the perfect middle-overs enforcer who can also return to blow away the tail.
Speaking of Bumrah, he has been in irrepressible form and rhythm as 11 wickets at 16.27 apiece and a phenomenal economy rate of 3.80 suggest.
Kuldeep Yadav trumps Adil Rashid as the wrist-spinner in this side, having bagged eight wickets so far in the tournament at 29.62 apiece, and remains India's ace middle-overs wicket-taker.
Combined India-England playing 11 ahead of the 2023 World Cup clash: Rohit Sharma (c), Dawid Malan, Virat Kohli, Joe Root, KL Rahul, Jos Buttler (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, David Willey, Mark Wood, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav.
What would be your combined India-England playing 11 ahead of their 2023 World Cup game in Lucknow? Have your say in the comments section below!