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India World Cup 2023 Squad Breakdown: Which of these 15-men will make the India 2023 Cricket World Cup XI?

Let’s breakdown India World Cup 2023 squad.

Here is a quick preview: India is going with experience to help them go all the way in this upcoming World Cup.

Let’s dive right in.

Key Takeaways from India World Cup 2023 ODI Squad

  • The average age of India Asia Cup 2023 squad is 32.7. India is going with a squad that has lots of experience but there are a couple of new faces as well. They have youngsters like Shubman Gill (24), and Ishan Kishan (25), On the other end of the spectrum, we have stalwarts like Ravichandran Ashwin (37), Virat Kohli (34) and Rohit Sharma (36).
  • The 15-member India’s World Cup squad has average ODI match experience of 97 ODIs (1449 ODIs among 15 players). Virat Kohli (281), Rohit Sharma (251) & Ravindra Jadeja (186) are their most experienced players.
  • India’s squad composition is as follows: 7 proper batters (0 part time bowlers), 4 all-rounders, and 4 proper bowling options. In total, India has 8 bowling options (1 off spin, 1 left arm spin, 1 left arm wrist spin, and 5 right arm pace) in their squad if absolutely needed. India do not have a leg-spinner or left arm pace bowler.
  • India has 2 left-handed batting options (Kishan) and two wicketkeeping options.

India Cricket World Cup Team at a Glance

PlayerRoleAge
Rohit SharmaBatter36
Shubman GillBatter24
Ishan KishanBatter/Wicketkeeper25
Virat KohliBatter34
Shreyas IyerBatter28
KL RahulBatter/Wicketkeeper31
Tilak Verma**Batter/Part-time off spin21
Suryakumar YadavBatter33
Hardik PandyaAll-Rounder/Right Arm Pace29
Ravindra JadejaAll-Rounder/Left Arm Spin34
Axar Patel*All-Rounder/Left Arm Spin29
Shardul ThakurAll-Rounder/Right Arm Pace31
Kuldeep YadavLeft Arm Wrist28
Jasprit BumrahRight Arm Pace29
Mohammad ShamiRight Arm Pace33
Mohammad SirajRight Arm Pace29
Prasidh Krishna**Right Arm Pace27
Ravichandran AshwinAll-Rounder/Right Arm Spin37
Sanju Samson**Batter/Wicketkeeper28

*injured, withdrawn from the squad

**not picked in the final squad

Also Read:

India Cricket World Cup 2023 Potential XI

  1. Rohit Sharma (C)
  2. Shubman Gill
  3. Virat Kohli
  4. Shreyas Iyer
  5. KL Rahul
  6. Ravindra Jadeja
  7. Hardik Pandya
  8. Ravichandran Ashwin/Shardul Thakur (depending on condiions)
  9. Kuldeep Yadav
  10. Mohammad Siraj
  11. Jasprit Bumrah

Injury News

  • Rishabh Pant is indefinitely out after a horrific car accident.
  • Axar Patel has been ruled out due to quadriceps strains.
  • KL Rahul has been nursing a back injury since IPL 2023. Shreyas Iyer has been out since the beginning of the year due to a thigh injury. They both returned to the fold.
  • Jasprit Bumrah is returning after a back injury. Prasidh Krishna is returning from a back injury as well. They have both returned, but Krishna did not make it to the final squad.

10 India Players Who Were Unlucky to Miss Out

  • Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravi Bishnoi

Also Read: Indian Cricket Team Depth: List of Top 75 Players of Indian Cricket

3 Surprise Picks for India’s World Cup Squad

  • Tilak Verma, Mohammad Shami, Prasidh Krishna

How many players were also in India’s 2019 ODI World Cup Squad?

  • 8 (Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammad Shami)

India World Cup 2023 Squad – Complete List of Players

1. Rohit Sharma (C)

Role: Right Hand Bat (Opener)

  • Matches/Innings: 251/243
  • Runs: 10112, Best: 264
  • Average/SR: 48.85/90.52
  • 100/50: 30/52

Recent ODI Form: 12*, 11, 74*, 56, 53, 0, 81

Last ODI: September 27, 2023

Age: 36

Embed from Getty Images

2. Shubman Gill

Role: Right Hand Bat (Opener)

  • Matches/Innings: 35/35
  • Runs: 1917, Best: 208
  • Average/SR: 66.10/102.84
  • 100/50: 6/9

Recent ODI Form: 10, 67*, 58, 19, 121, 27*, 74, 104

Last ODI: September 24, 2023

Age: 24

Embed from Getty Images

3. Ishan Kishan (WK)

Role: Left Hand Bat/Wicketkeeper

  • Matches/Innings: 25/22
  • Runs: 886, Best: 210
  • 100/50: 1/7
  • Average/SR: 44.30/102.42
  • Catches/Stumpings: 13/2

Recent ODI Form: 82, 33, 5, 23*, 18, 31

Last ODI: September 24, 2023

Age: 25

Embed from Getty Images

4. Virat Kohli

Role: Right Hand Bat

  • Matches/Innings: 281/269
  • Runs: 13083, Best: 183
  • Average/SR: 57.38/93.78
  • 6100/50: 47/65

Recent ODI Form: 4, 122*, 3, 56

Last ODI: September 27, 2023

Age: 34

Also Read:

Embed from Getty Images

5. Shreyas Iyer

Role: Right Hand Bat

  • Matches/Innings: 47/42
  • Runs: 1801, Best: 113*
  • Average/SR: 46.17/97.88
  • 100/50: 3/14

Recent ODI Form: 14, 3, 105, 48

Last ODI: September 27, 2023

Age: 28

Embed from Getty Images

6. KL Rahul (WK)

Role: Right Hand Bat/Wicketkeeper/#5/Occasional Opener

  • Matches/Innings: 61/58
  • Runs: 2291, Best: 112
  • 100/50: 6/15
  • Average/SR: 47.72/87.64
  • Catches/Stumpings: 40/4

Recent ODI Form: 111*, 39, 19, 58*, 52, 26

Last ODI: September 27, 2023

Age: 31

Embed from Getty Images

7. Suryakumar Yadav

Role: Right Hand Bat

  • Matches/Innings: 30/28
  • Runs: 667, Best: 72*
  • 100/50: 0/4
  • Average/SR: 27.79/105.70

Recent ODI Form: 26, 50, 72*, 8

Last ODI: September 27, 2023

Age: 33

Also Read: Is SuryaKumar Yadav the Most Complete 360 Player in T20 Cricket?

Embed from Getty Images

8. Hardik Pandya (VC)

Role: All-Rounder (Right Hand Bat/Right Arm Pace)

  • Matches/Innings: 82/60
  • Runs: 1758, Best: 92*
  • Average/SR: 33.80/1120.21
  • 100/50: 0/11
  • Wickets: 79, Best: 4/24
  • Economy: 5.51

Recent ODI Form: 87, 5 & 1/34, 1/17, 1/14, 3/3

Last ODI: September 17, 2023

Age: 29

Embed from Getty Images

9. Ravichandran Ashwin

Role: All-Rounder (Right Hand Bat/Right Arm Off-Spin)

  • Matches/Innings: 115/63
  • Runs: 707, Best: 65
  • Average/SR: 16.44/86.96
  • 100/50: 0/1
  • Wickets: 155, Best: 4/25
  • Economy: 4.94

Recent ODI Form: 1/47, 3/41

Last ODI: September 24, 2023

Age: 37

Embed from Getty Images

10. Ravindra Jadeja

Role: All-Rounder (Left Arm Spin, Left Hand Bat)

  • Matches/Innings: 186/127
  • Runs: 2636, Best: 87
  • Average/SR: 32.14/84.43
  • 100/50: 0/13
  • Wickets: 204, Best: 5/36
  • 4-fer/5-fer: 7/1
  • Economy: 4.92

Recent ODI Form: 14, 4, 7, 3*, 13*, 35 & 3/40, 0/26, 2/33, 1/53, 1/51, 3/42, 0/61

Last ODI: September 27, 2023

Age: 34

Embed from Getty Images

11. Axar Patel *

*injured, withdrawn from the tournament

Role: All-Rounder (Left Arm Spin/ Left Hand Bat)

  • Matches/Innings: 52/32
  • Runs: 513, Best: 64*
  • Average/SR: 18.77/102.48
  • 100/50: 0/2
  • Wickets: 58, Best: 3/24
  • Economy: 4.51

Recent ODI Form: 21, 2*, 29*, 2, 1 & 1/16, 0/25, 2/57, 0/4

Last ODI: July 29, 2023

Age: 29

Embed from Getty Images

12. Shardul Thakur

Role: All-Rounder (Right Arm Pace/Right Hand Bat)

  • Matches/Innings: 44/43
  • Runs: 329, Best: 50*
  • Average/SR: 17.31/105.11
  • 100/50: 0/1
  • Wickets: 63, Best: 4/37
  • Economy: 6.24

Recent ODI Form: 1, 16, 3, 11 & 1/14, 3/42, 4/37, 1/26, 1/16, 3/65, 0/78, 0/35

Last ODI: September 24, 2023

Age: 31

Embed from Getty Images

13. Kuldeep Yadav

Role: Left Arm Wrist Spin

  • Matches/Innings: 90/87
  • Wickets: 152, Best: 6/25
  • 4-fer/5-fer: 7/2
  • Economy: 5.13

Recent ODI Form: 0/34, 5/25, 4/43, 0/1, 2/48

Last ODI: September 27, 2023

Age: 28

Embed from Getty Images Embed

14. Jasprit Bumrah

Role: Right Arm Pace

  • Matches/Innings: 78/77
  • Wickets: 129, Best: 6/19
  • 4-fer/5-fer: 5/2
  • Economy: 4.67

Recent ODI Form: 1/18, 2/30, 1/23, 1/43, 3/81

Last ODI: September 27, 2023

Age: 29

Embed from Getty Images

15. Mohammad Shami

Role: Right Arm Pace

  • Matches/Innings: 94/93
  • Wickets: 171, Best: 5/51
  • 4-fer/5-fer: 9/2
  • Economy: 5.57

Recent ODI Form: 1/29, 2/32, 5/51, 1/39

Last ODI: September 24, 2023

Age: 33

Embed from Getty Images

16. Mohammad Siraj

Role: Right Arm Pace

  • Matches/Innings: 30/29
  • Wickets: 54, Best: 6/21
  • 4-fer/5-fer: 2/1
  • Economy: 4.87

Recent ODI Form: 3/61, 0/23, 1/17, 6/21, 1/68

Last ODI: September 27, 2023

Age: 29

Embed from Getty Images

17. Prasidh Krishna**

**not picked in the final World Cup squad

Role: Right Arm Pace

  • Matches/Innings: 14/14
  • Wickets: 25, Best: 4/12
  • 4-fer/5-fer: 2/0
  • Economy: 5.32

Recent ODI Form: 0/48, 0/62, 1/30, 3/50, 1/28

Last ODI: August 20, 2022

Age: 27

Embed from Getty Images

18. Sanju Samson **

**Not picked in the final WC squad

Role: Right Hand Bat/Wicketkeeper

  • Matches/Innings: 13/12
  • Runs: 390, Best: 86*
  • 100/50: 0/3
  • Average/SR: 55.71/104.00
  • Catches/Stumpings: 7/2

Recent ODI Form: 86*, 30*, 2*, 36, 9, 51

Last ODI: August 1, 2023

Age: 28

Embed from Getty Images

7. Tilak Verma **

**Not picked in the final WC squad

Role: Left Hand Bat/Right Arm Off spin

*Has not yet debuted in ODIs, played 7 T20Is

List A Record

  • Matches/Innings: 25/25
  • Runs: 1236, Best: 156*
  • 100/50: 5/5
  • Average/SR: 56.18/101.64

Age: 21

Embed from Getty Images

Final Thoughts

Usually with India’s squads, you have a feeling of how the campaign is going to go.

This time, I cannot really say. With an overkill of cricket, ODIs have been squeezed out of the ODI calendar.

Add to that, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna are just coming out of injury, Tilak Verma has not played a single ODI, and Shami hasn’t played for a while. At the same time, there is discussion about who didnt’t make the squad, Yuzvendra Chahal & one of the off-spin options.

This is still a great squad, with a mix of youth & experience. My only concern is the lack of match time, recurring injuries, and relative instability.

But with home advantage, you never know. Can India repeat the magic of 2011? Have your say in the comments below!

Sources: Press Release – Cricinfo

Related ODI World Cup Articles

If you liked this article, be sure to check some of the other World Cup content:

Frequently Asked Questions – India World Cup 2023 Squad

What is the average age of India’s 2023 Cricket World Cup squad?

The average age of India Asia Cup 2023 squad is 32.7. India is going with a squad that has lots of experience but there are a couple of new faces as well. They have youngsters like Shubman Gill (24), and Ishan Kishan (25), On the other end of the spectrum, we have stalwarts like Virat Kohli (34) and Rohit Sharma (36).

Who is selected for India’s 2023 Cricket World Cup and India Asia Cup 2023 squad?

Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (WK), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Shami, Mohammad Siraj, and Suryakumar Yadav made it in India’s 2023 Cricket World Cup squad.India World Cup 2023 Squad: (From left to right) Pictured - Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja

Can India win the 2023 ODI World Cup?

Yes, India can win the 2023 ODI World Cup if they make full use of home conditions and home injuries do not occur anymore.

Will Bumrah play the 2023 ODI World Cup?

Yes, it seems that Jasprit Bumrah has recovered from his injury and will play in the 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup. Bumrah has been selected for the 2023 Asia Cup squad.

© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, LLC 2023. Originally published on 08/19/2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).

IPL 2022 Prediction Results – Who Was the Closest?

IPL 2022 Prediction Results time!

Before this T20 festival begin, we asked our friends on Twitter on Facebook of their IPL 2022 Predictions. The predictions were recorded here. IPL 2022 Predictions – Orange Cap, Purple Cap, Emerging Players, and More!

Now is the time for the moment of truth. Who was the closest? Were there any major surprises? Let’s find out.

The Results

Before we dive to the winners, here are the results from this year’s IPL.

  • #OrangeCap:
    • Jos Buttler (863 Runs) RR
    • KL Rahul (616) LSG
    • Quinton de Kock (508) LSG
  • #PurpleCap:
    • Yuzvendra Chahal (27 wickets) RR
    • Wanindu Hasaranga (26 wickets) RCB
    • Kagiso Rabada (23 wickets) PBKS
  • #Winner: Gujarat Titans
  • #Top4: GT, RR, RCB, LSG
  • #EmergingPlayer: Umran Malik
  • #SurprisePackage: Gujarat Titans team surprising everybody, Dinesh Karthik 4.0, Mohsin Khan, Rajat Patidar, Tilak Verma, Rinku Singh, David Miller 3.0, Umran Malik, Jitesh Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed 2.0, Dewald Brevis, Tim David towards the end, Arshdeep Singh’s death over accuracy, captain Hardik Pandya, Rishi Dhawan providing balance to PBKS, SRH’s streaks of wins & losses, R Sai Kishore seamlessly going from SMAT greatness to IPL, R Ashwin being R Ashwin (retired out, promoted to #3, finishing games off, bowling behind the umpire, etc.)
  • #BrokenDream: Virat Kohli & Kane Williamson underwhelm, RCB so near so far yet again, Evin Lewis’ catch crushes Rinku Singh led KKR revival, Buttler 863 fails to break the 973 record, MI/CSK end at the bottom, KL Rahul on the losing side once again despite runs

Other IPL Awards

  • Most Valuable Player: Jos Buttler
  • Super Striker: Dinesh Karthik (183 SR)
  • Game Changer: Jos Buttler
  • Fastest Delivery: Lockie Ferguson (157.3 kph)
  • Perfect Catch: Evin Lewis (KKR vs LSG)
  • FairPlay Award: GT & RR

How Prediction Points Were Awarded

Depending on how many predictions you attempted, there were a total of 11/12 points up for grab. Here is the points breakdown:

  • Orange/Purple Cap: 2 Points for the Exact Answer, 1 Points for someone else in the Top 3
    • For example, you would get 2 points if you had predicted Buttler/Chahal for the orange/purple cap respectively, 1 point for KL Rahul or QDK/Hasaranga or Rabada, and 0 otherwise
  • Top4: 4 Points Total, +1 for each of the play-off participants
  • Emerging Player/Surprise Package: Since there were several uncapped players who performed above expectations this time around (and since there were 0 predictions for Umran Malik), any reasonable guess will get a point (examples in the #SurprisePackage list above)

IPL 2022 Prediction Results Part 1

For the first part, we look at predictions from the Subtle Curry Sports Facebook group.

And The Winners Are….wait for it…Drumrolls Please

SHIVASHIS PATRI! 5/11 🥇 predictions correct. Congratulations 👏

Close behind are Arnab Kumar, Srikar Chakka, Lakshya Kaviya, and Aalay Gandhi all with 4/11 points 🥈

Special mention to Aalay Gandhi for his Surprise Package comment: “GT (Yes, the whole team)“- when literally no fan or expert predicted this.

Orange CapPurple CapWinnerTop4Emerging PlayerSurprise Package
Arnab Kumar
4/11
Shreyas Iyer Avesh KhanCSKCSK, RCB✔, LSG✔, PBKS
(2/4)
Tilak Verma✔
+1
Hardik Pandya✔
+1
Neel Patel
3/11
Sanju SamsonBumrahRCBDC, RCB✔, RR✔, MI
(2/4)
Yash DhullKohli✔
+1
Surprising for sure, but in the wrong way.
Shalin Sheth
2/11
Shikhar DhawanBumrahPBKSPBKS, DC, LSG✔, MI
(1/4)
Raj BawaRishi Dhawan✔
Provided the balance for PBKS this season.
+1
Srikar Chakka
4/11
KL Rahul ✔
+1
Rabada✔
+1
Punjab KingsPBKS, RR✔, LSG✔, SRH
(2/4)
HangargekarRomario Shepherd
Sharan Sivakumar
3/11
Rohit Sharma/David WarnerJasprit Bumrah/Harshal PatelLSG/CSKLSG✔, CSK, RCB✔, PBKS
(2/4)
MS Dhoni/ DreRuss/T NatarajanVijay Shankar/Bhuvneshwar Kumar✔
Bhuvneshwar Kumar surprised with a good comeback, especially with his yorkers.
+1
Lakshya Kaviya
4/11
Rahul✔
+1
Wanindu Hasaranaga✔
+1
Delhi CapitalsDC, LSG✔, CSK, SRH
(1/4)
Yash DhullOdean Smith✔
Surprised at the death in finishing games, being hit by Tewatia, and coming back with decent spells.
+1
Aalay Gandhi
4/11
KL Rahul✔
+1
BumrahDelhi CapitalsDC, MI, CSK, RR✔
(1/4)
Tilak Verma✔
+1
GT (the entire team, yes)✔
Can you predict the future?😂
+1
Shivashis Patri
5/11
KL Rahul✔
+1
Kagiso Rabada✔
+1
Rajasthan Royals
*So Close…
DC, CSK, RCB✔, RR✔
(2/4)
Yash DhullHardik Pandya✔
+1

IPL 2022 Prediction Results Part 2

From our twitter page, we have our overall winner – ROHAN GULAVANI 👏🥇 7/12 Predictions Right! Congrats!!! Kudos to Kickit Wicket with 4/12 🥈 as well 👏

Orange CapPurple CapWinnerTop4Emerging PlayerSurprise PackageBroken Dream
Sourabh Sanyal
1/12
KL Rahul
+1
BoomMI/DelhiMI/DC/CSK/PK
(0/4)
Dhull/HangargekarHangargekar MSD
Rohan Gulavani
7/12
Shreyas/KL✔
+1
Y Chahal✔
+2
DCDC, CSK, LSG✔, RCB✔
(2/4)
Yash D/ BishnoiObed McCoy✔ & Conway
The way Obed McCoy held his nerve throughout this tournament was a sight to see.
+1
RCB failing to cross the line again✔
+1
Just Cricket
3/11
KL Rahul✔BumrahLucknowCSK, MI, Lucknow✔, PBKS
(1/4)
Hangargekar/JaiswalBrevis/Parag/Tilak Verma✔
+1
Cric Crazy Veer
3/12
KohliRashidLSGLSG✔, CSK, RR✔, MI
(2/4)
Shahrukh Khan/R Sai Kishore✔
+1
Ajinkya Rahane/MS DhoniKL Rahul underperforming, MSD Retires Forever
Kickit Wicket
4/12
KL Rahul✔Rashid KhanCSKDC, CSK, GT✔, RCB✔
(2/4)
Smeed (after called in as replacement)BishnoiRCB lose in the final✔
Close enough.
+1
Sourabh Negi
3/12
Shreyas/KL Rahul✔RashidKKRCSK, LSG✔, DC, KKR
(2/4)
Rasik Salam/Brevis✔
+1
MSD Retires Forever

My Own IPL 2022 Predictions

My own predictions ended up with a 4/12.

  • #OrangeCap: Shreyas ❌
  • #PurpleCap: Rashid ❌
  • #Winner: LSG ❌
  • #Top4: LSG✔, RCB✔, PBKS, DC (2/4)
  • #EmergingPlayer: R Sai Kishore/Brevis ✔ +1
  • #SurprisePackage: Rishi Dhawan/Tim David ✔ +1
  • #BrokenDream: Russell/Narine duo struggle & MSD Retires Forever ❌

Well IPL 2022 was fun while it lasted. Now on to international cricket. Test cricket, ODI Super leagues, women’s cricket, and the build up to the T20 World Cup. Stay tuned!

© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, 2022. Originally published on 06/04/2022. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Very short Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).

Image Courtesy: Photo by Vlad Chețan on Pexels.com

IPL 2021 Mumbai Indians Preview: Third Time Unlucky?

Mumbai Indians Preview IPL 2021.

Let us make this quick. MI lift the trophy again. End of Preview.

Just kidding! But seriously, how good are they? Do not see too many changes, but a hattrick of IPL trophies is still a tough ask.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!

Also Read: IPL 2021 Auctions Review, MI All-Time XI

IPL History

2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020 (Champions), 2011 (3rd), 2012, 2014 (4th)

How Did They Do Last Year?

1st. The same old story. Champions for a 5th time. Another wonderful campaign. Here are some of the highlights.

  • Suryakumar Yadav & Ishan Kishan storm into national spotlight after consistent performances. Add Quinton de Kock’s blazing starts & a certain Rohit Sharma and that was an enviable top order.
  • The better the finishers, the more consistent a T20 side. Finishing prowess of Kieron Pollard & Hardik Pandya justifies this claim.
  • James Pattinson, Jasprit Bumrah, & Trent Boult provided the firepower that the fast bowling bowling needed in sluggish UAE pitches.

Injury & COVID-19 News

No major injury or COVID-19 news for the Mumbai Indians as of yet, but cases in Mumbai are rising rapidly. The Road Safety Series in Mumbai has several former cricketers in quarantine. Fingers crossed, but keep checking your news if any local Mumbai players join the MI squad.

Complete Mumbai Indians Squad

Batsman: Rohit Sharma*, Saurabh Tiwary, Suryakumar Yadav, Anmolpreet Singh

WK: Ishan Kishan, Aditya Tare

All-Rounders: Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Anukul Roy, Arjun Tendulkar, Mohsin Khan

Fast Medium: Jasprit Bumrah, Dhawal Kulkarni, Yudhvir Singh

Spinners: Rahul Chahar, Piyush Chawla, Jayant Yadav

Overseas: Trent Boult, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Quinton de Kock (WK), Marco Jansen, James Neesham, Kieron Pollard, Adam Milne, Chris Lynn

*Captain

Predicted MI XI

Rohit Sharma (C), 2. Quinton de Kock (WK)3. Ishan Kishan (WK), 4. Suryakumar Yadav, 5. Kieron Pollard, 6. Krunal Pandya, 7. Hardik Pandya, 8. Rahul Chahar, 9. Trent Boult,10. Jasprit Bumrah, 11. Adam Milne/ Nathan Coulter-Nile

How can an already dangerous line-up become even more dangerous? Instead of adding another foreign pace bowler, maybe Jimmy Neesham can slot in at #8. The Pollard-Pandyas-Neesham finishing line up can be quite something.

Watch Out For

  • Adam Milne, the New Zealand speedstar of 2015 World Cup fame, went missing for a couple of years due to injuries. He has slowly made a comeback in the New Zealand squad through the Big Bash, but can he light up the IPL?
  • With 11 games in Chennai-Delhi-Kolkata combined, spin will be very handy. Expect Rahul Chahar to be among the wickets. Since Krunal Pandya is more of a batting-allrounder, we may see a bit of Piyush Chawla and Jayant Yadav. Before the final that is.

Where Can Things Go Wrong For the Indians?

Mumbai play first 5 matches at Chennai. While familiarity can be a good thing, let us look at the opposition—strong RCB & Punjab sides and games against spin giants SRH (Rashid, Mujeeb, Nabi), DC (Ashwin, Axar, Amit Mishra), & KKR (Shakib, Varun, Harbhajan, Kuldeep, Pawan Negi).

I am betting against Mumbai Indians for their ‘home’ venues.

Venues & Fixtures

Venues

Chennai- 5, Delhi- 4, Bangalore- 3, Kolkata- 2

Fixtures

  • 9 April: MI vs RCB (Chennai)
  • 13 April: KKR vs MI (Chennai)
  • 17 April: MI vs SRH (Chennai)
  • 20 April: DC vs MI (Chennai)
  • 23 April: PBKS vs MI (Chennai)
  • 29 April: MI vs RR (Delhi)
  • 1 May: MI vs CSK (Delhi)
  • 4 May: SRH vs MI (Delhi)
  • 8 May: RR vs MI (Delhi)
  • 10 May: MI vs KKR (Bangalore)
  • 13 May: MI vs PBKS (Bangalore)
  • 16 May: CSK vs MI (Bangalore)
  • 20 May: RCB vs MI (Kolkata)
  • 23 May: MI vs DC (Kolkata)
  • 25 May: Qualifier 1 (Ahmedabad)
  • 26 May: Eliminator (Ahmedabad)
  • 28 May: Qualifier 2 (Ahmedabad)
  • 30 May: Final (Ahmedabad)

Prediction

Mumbai Indians always seem to bounce back after rough campaign starts. Given the schedule in IPL 2021, I think if they lose 3 or more of the first five, I do not think they can bounce back.

For a change, I am going for a different IPL winner this time around. They will probably win again, but for the fun of it, I have them winning from the reverse order this time.

Prediction8th
Most Runs Suryakumar Yadav
Most WicketsRahul Chahar
Emerging PlayerMarco Jansen
Surprise PackageJimmy Neesham
X FactorKieron Pollard, the leader
Broken Cricket DreamThird Time…Is Not the Charm. May not win this time

Also, Chris Lynn. Someone of his calibre might have to warm the benches two seasons in a row.
Mumbai Indians Preview Predictions

What do you think of the Mumbai Indians Preview? Your First XI? Will they make the IPL 2021 qualifiers?

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Copyright (2021: 4/3/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

India Vs Australia 2020 – ODI & T20I Series Review: Even Contests But Lots To Think About

India Vs Australia – a friendly evenly contested series.

India revived their 1992 jersey, and the tour started accordingly with twin defeats via the brilliance of Steven Smith. This tour will be remembered for the Australia media’s fascination for ‘King’ Kohli, international fielding of grade-school standards, emergence of Hardik Pandya, the Jadeja-Chahal concussion fiasco, and Wade’s non-review.

Australia, on the other hand, erased the poor IPL 2020 memories. Aaron Finch, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell – all came back with a bang. Good performances by youngsters and comeback kids as well.

Here are my picks for the best moments of the series, the emerging players, and where these two teams go from here? COMMENT BELOW ON YOUR FAVORITE MOMENTS.

Also Read: IND-AUS ODI/T20I Preview, Series Predictions – Can You Do Better?, NZ-WI Series Review

Results – India Vs Australia

ODI Series: Australia Win 2 – 1

* Player of Match

  1. Australia won by 66 runsSteven Smith*
  2. Australia won by 51 runsSteven Smith*
  3. India won by 13 runs Hardik Pandya*
Player of SeriesSteven Smith (Australia)
– 216 runs, 2-100s
India
Most RunsAaron Finch – 249 runsHardik Pandya – 210 runs
Most WicketsAdam Zampa – 7 wicketsMohammad Shami – 4 wickets
ODI Series Stats

T20I Series: India Win 2 – 1

  1. India won by 11 runsYuzvendra Chahal* (concussion substitute for Ravindra Jadeja)
  2. India won by 6 wicketsHardik Pandya*
  3. Australia won by 12 runsMitchell Swepson*
Player of Series (Australia)Hardik Pandya (India)
– 78 runs at 156.00 SR
Most RunsMatthew Wade – 145 runsVirat Kohli – 134 runs
Most Wickets Mitchell Swepson – 5 wicketsT Natarajan – 6 wickets
T20I Series Stats

The Highlights

India

ODIS

  • India still have not solved their middle muddle. Shreyas Iyer returned with scores of 2, 38, 19, 12*, and 0 across formats. None of India’s batsman bowl and none of the bowlers bat well. The #4 position and the 6th bowling option is still a major worry.
  • Chahal leaked 89 & 71 runs and was eventually dropped for the third. Although he was the man of the match in the first T20I, it is still a matter of concern in the flat ODI pitches. Time to bring Kul-Cha back together?
  • First time since 2008 that Virat Kohli has not registered a century. Came close with a 89 and 63, but 2020 has just been that kind of year.
  • Shardul Thakur has a knack of taking wickets as we can see from his 3/51 in the 3rd ODI.

T20Is

  • Although Sanju Samson gave India impetus with innings like 23(14) and 15(9), it was just not enough. With the likes of Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan, and Suryakumar Yadav in the background, Samson may not have too long of a rope.
  • Hardik Pandya dedicated his Player of Series award to T. Natarajan and deservingly so. Although Pandya finished things off, Natarajan’s 3/30, 2/20, and 1/33 were crucial to limit India’s targets.
  • India have found a balance in the finishing power. If one of the top order batsmen fail to finish the chase, Pandya will. If Pandya fails, Jadeja will.
  • In 2016, Manish Pandey was among the rising stars scoring an unbeaten century in a 300+ run chase. Forward to 2020. Did not get a game in the ODIs and struggled in his only T20I opportunity – 2 (8).

Australia

ODIs

  • Steven Smith famously said a month ago that he “found his hand.” He was not joking as he displayed with scores of 105 and 104 in just around 62 balls both innings. WOW.
  • Glenn Maxwell could not hit a fly in IPL 2020. Put the Australia jersey on and boy, was he on fire? The entire 2 months of IPL – 0 sixes. 3 ODIs, 3 T20Is – 16 sixes in total including quickfire 45(19), 63*(29), 59 (38), 54 (36), 22 (13) across formats. Australia have found their finisher.
  • Although Smith & Maxwell were the catalyst, the solid platform provided by Aaron Finch with 2-100s and 1-50. He is growing in his captaincy role as well.
  • Does Australia have a Mitchell Starc problem? 1/65, 0/82, & wide balls does not reflect the stature of Starc.

T20Is

  • D’Arcy Short comes up short. Wade not so much with blistering back-to-back 50s. Also a handy commentator behind the stumps.
  • The leggie Mitchell Swepson joins the party. His 1st wicket of the series? None other than Virat Kohli.
  • Moises Henriques made a comeback with important contributions with both bat and ball. In the 2nd T20I – 3/22 in his 4 overs along with a 30(20) got Australia close to the target.

We like to spice things up with our own awards for the series. Here they are:

AustraliaIndia
Emerging PlayerMitchell SwepsonT Natarajan
Surprise PackageMatthew Wade/ Moises HenriquesRavindra Jadeja + Hardik Pandya
Broken Cricket DreamD’Arcy ShortManish Pandey

Who would have been your Emerging Player? Surprise Player? Broken Cricket Dream? Let us know below WITH COMMENTS! Also please subscribe!

Where Do They Go From Here?

Earlier I had predicted 2-1 India for the ODIs and 2-1 Australia for the T20Is. The results were reversed, but this India Vs Australia series had closed contests regardless. By no means, did these teams perform at their bests. They have a lot to ponder over, especially heading into the Border-Gavaskar Test series and the World T20 next year.

In limited overs, India have to fix their middle over phase – both in batting style and the bowling combinations. For the test series, India have an Ishant Sharma size hole along with concussion/injury issues for Jadeja and Rohit Sharma.

Australia’s injury woes are at another level. First Stoinis and Warner in the limited overs series. Then, the debutant Green and Will Pucovski with concussions during the warm-up games and now even Steven Smith has a soar back. Here is the complete list:

World T20 Watch:

We will do a World T20 Watch from now till the world cup next year. Here is our predicted T20 XI line up as of now based on this series. Several ifs and buts at this point, but it will get clearer along the journey.

So many bowling/all-round option for Australia.

Australia

  1. Wade/Warner, 2. Finch, 3. Stoinis, 4. Smith, 5. Maxwell, 6. Henriques/Green, 7. Cummins, 8. Zampa, 9. Hazlewood/Lyon, 10. Starc, 11. Andrew Tye/Sean Abbott

India

India’s limited overs selections need a rethink. ODIs and T20Is are now separate entities and hence, need different criteria. Gone are the days of the three format players barring a couple from each team.

Each position needs a specific role with a like-for-like understudy. Here is my World T20 XI for India as of now:

  1. KL Rahul, 2. Sharma/Kohli, 3. Pandey/Iyer/Suryakumar Yadav, 4. Sanju Samson/Ishan Kishan/Rishabh Pant, 5. Hardik Pandya, 6. Ravindra Jadeja, 7. Dinesh Karthik, 8. Thakur/Shami, 9. Bhuvi/Chahar, 10. Chahal/Kuldeep, 11. Bumrah/Natarajan

What did you think about the India Vs Australia series? What are your World T20 line ups? COMMENT BELOW, and let us know what you think!

Image Courtesy: MATTHEW WADENAPARAZZI, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons