Can India win the 2023 ODI World Cup?

As the ODI World Cup becomes India's next main event, the squad must forget the losses in the previous tournaments. Having lost in the knockout stages of almost all the past ICC tournaments (save the 2021 T20 WC), India has gained the "chokers" tag that haunted the squad in the early 2000s. In the last decade or so (after the 2013 Champions Trophy), India has lost the WTC finals twice, lost in the semi-finals twice in the ODI World Cup (2015, 2019), and lost twice in the T20 World Cup semi-finals (2016, 2022). The side is consistent and robust. They have gone into every one of these tournaments as either the favorites or one of the favorites, and they have lived up to the mark in the group stages. The arrival of the playoffs, however, has seen India stumble repeatedly. Batting collapses have been the hallmark of playoff games, and our formidable top 3 has consistently fallen short over the last few years. The lack of a quality middle order has hurt our chances over the last few tournaments. The 2011 ODI World Cup final was won by the middle order. Important knocks from Gautam Gambhir, MS Dhoni, and Yuvraj Singh propelled us to the title after the top 3 faltered. 

Can we repeat history and win our first ICC title in 10 years? Let's find out.

Since the start of 2021, India has gotten a lot of ODI practice on its home turf. It has done very well during that time. They have won most of their series, including wins over New Zealand (at home), South Africa (at home), and England (away). Victories over quality teams are always an added benefit as you move closer to the tournament, and India has shown its progress over the last couple of years.

However, recent injuries and squad selections have puzzled the combinations of the team. As has been the issue for some time now, the middle order has not figured itself out. Despite multiple players being tried out in the middle order, our most consistent performances have come from the opening quartet. Since debuting in 2019, Shubman Gill has performed excellently in the opener's slot alongside Rohit Sharma, averaging 65.55 and striking at over 107 in his first 24 games. Shreyas Iyer had a great year in 2022 and is expected to be back by the time the Asia Cup begins, but he is another right-hander, limiting the diversity in the top 6.

Rishabh Pant's injury has left the middle order in a conundrum, as no specialist lefty batsmen are in the top 5. This was exposed in the 2019 World Cup semis where Matt Henry and Trent Boult got the bowl to swing in and blew the full order away. Ishan Kishan had a good 2022 in terms of the ODI's, but his numbers this year and his IPL performance have been solid, but nothing brilliant. 

So, who are the keys to winning this World Cup?

Virat Kohli: Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill have solidified themselves as a quality opening duo with injuries to KL Rahul. Kohli has to be back to his old days at no.3 or 4 if India wants to win the World Cup. Over the last two years, his numbers have been 20 games, and 729 runs at an average of 38.4. His average is far below his career number of almost 58, and he has to get back into form if India wants to have a shot at the ODI title. He should use the West Indies games to get into his groove and prepare for the World Cup.

Jasprit Bumrah: Having not played ODI's for over a year, Bumrah's success will be critical for the bowling attack to do well. He bowled exceptionally well at the 2019 World Cup, with 18 wickets in 9 games at an average of 20.61. Bumrah must hit the ground running, and a stellar Asia Cup will do wonders for his confidence and preparation.

Ishan Kishan: The emergence of these two players in the middle order is good news for the Indian Cricket Team. A good World Cup from either one will be key for the team to succeed, and the stability they provide will help the team gain confidence as they move toward the knockout stages. 

India’s World Cup hopes hinge on the performance of the middle order. The bowling order is consistent in what it does and has set the platform up for the batsmen to succeed, something that they have not capitalized on. A bowling attack consisting of Mohammad Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzi Chahal, and Kuldeep Yadav has done well in the past and has proven that they can perform. As written above, the middle order has often been their Achilles heel, and the lack of lefty batsmen has left them vulnerable. As Ravi Shastri very recently pointed out, you need at least 2-3 lefty batsmen in your top 6 to win the WC. That has been the template followed by teams of the past. Australia in 2015 had David Warner, India in 2011 had Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, and Yuvraj Singh, Australia in 2007 had Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey, and so on.

India should use the series before the Asia Cup to narrow the squad down to a list of 18-20 players. The main priority should be to win the Asia Cup with a 20-man lineup. To select the team, give opportunities to the younger players and allow them to prove themselves. Let younger players like Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, and Ishan Kishan bat themselves into form, and let them flourish. The series after the Asia Cup should be used to narrow down and select your best 15. There should be multiple specialist lefty batsmen in the order and backup pace bowlers considering Bumrah’s recent injuries. The ruling of KL Rahul and possibly Rishabh Pant is a massive setback considering their success in the longer format. Their injury rulings are not confirmed yet. If they are, however, this would be my ideal World Cup squad.

Hypothetical World Cup Squad

Openers

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill

Middle-Order

Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer

Wicket-Keepers

Ishan Kishan, 

Allrounders

Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur

Bowling

Mohammad Siraj, Mohammad Shami, Yuvzendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah