India’s cricket captain Rohit Sharma has offered a comprehensive update on the team’s preparations for the upcoming Cricket World Cup 2023. Despite their dominant performance in the Asia Cup Final against Sri Lanka, Rohit Sharma revealed that India was missing several key players due to injuries, leaving uncertainty surrounding the team’s composition for the forthcoming home World Cup campaign.
Addressing the injury concerns, Rohit Sharma expressed confidence that India would have a fully fit squad before the World Cup, with Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer expected to recover well in advance of their tournament opener on October 8th.
ALSO READ
Axar Patel, the spin-bowling all-rounder, faced the most severe injury setback, nursing both a wrist injury and a minor tear in his left quadricep. These injuries forced him to miss the latter stages of India’s victorious Asia Cup campaign. Rohit Sharma acknowledged that Patel might sit out part of the World Cup lead-in series against Australia but remained optimistic about his availability for the main tournament.
“It looks like maybe a week or ten days (to heal), I don’t know. We have to see how that injury progresses,” Rohit stated after India’s ten-wicket win over Sri Lanka. “Some guys recover quickly, and I hope that’s the case with him. I am not sure whether he will be able to play the first two games against Australia at home. But we will wait and see.”
Shreyas Iyer, who missed the Asia Cup due to minor back spasms, received positive news from Rohit Sharma, who confirmed that Iyer was “99% fit” and well on his way to returning to action. The skipper explained, “Shreyas was not available for (the final) because certain parameters were kept for him to tick off. I think today he completed most of it. I should say he is alright 99 per cent as of now. But he looks good, he batted and fielded for long hours (as part of his build-up to full fitness), and he was on the ground long before we came to the ground. I don’t think it is a worry for us.”
Regarding the inclusion of Ravichandran Ashwin in India’s Cricket World Cup squad, Rohit Sharma clarified that Ashwin remained in contention, despite not being called up as Axar Patel’s replacement for the Asia Cup final. Washington Sundar was favored at the last minute due to his availability, as he had been prepared for India’s Asian Games campaign in Hangzhou, China.
Important Links: India Cricket Schedule | 2023 Cricket World Cup Schedule [Oct 5 – Nov 19]
“As a spinner-all-rounder, Ashwin is in line, I have been talking to him on the phone,” Rohit reiterated. “The injury happened to Axar at the last minute. Washington was available, so he had to come and perform the role for us. He (Washington) was cricket-fit because he was part of the Asian Games camp (in Bengaluru). I have been very clear with players about their roles. Everyone is in the loop.”
Get every cricket update! Follow us on
