India's World Cup squad to be announced today; all eyes on Agarkar & Co, indias-world-cup-squad-announcement-agarkar-bcci-team

Hyderabad: The Board of Control for Cricket in India will announce the Indian team for the 2023 World Cup on Tuesday.

The 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup is being hosted by the BCCI and it will be played in India. The World Cup is seen as the best bet for India to lay their hands on an ICC Trophy after missing out on several opportunities since 2013.

For the record, India last won an ICC Trophy in 2013, when they won the Champions Trophy by defeating England in the final. The team was led by the charismatic Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Since they be it T20, ODI or Test format, India have not been able to lift the ICC Trophy. They have made the semi finals the finals, but the ICC Trophy has evaded India.

In the 2019 World Cup held in England, India lost to eventual runners up in the semi final and a billion dreams were shattered.

On Tuesday, in all likelihood the chief selector Ajit Agarkar will announce the World Cup squad a Press Conference in Kandy, Sri Lanka, where the team is currently playing the Asia Cup.

All eyes of cricket loving Indians will be on Agarkar and team comprising Shiv Sundar Das, Subroto Banerjee, Salil Ankola, Sridharan Sharath, who will pick the squad.

While skipper Rohit Sharma, former skipper Virat Kohli and ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah are a certainty to be picked up in the squad, it remains to be seen what the 'five wise men' decided on who will play at the crucial number 4 spot. The number four spot during the last World Cup had become a bone of contention.

It also remains to be seen whether a fit again KL Rahul, who got a clearance from the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, will make it to the World Cup squad or the selectors repose their faith in young Ishan Kishan, who rallied the team out of trouble in their Asia Cup opener against Pakistan.

Ditto for Shreyas Iyer, the Mumbaikar made a comeback after injury to the national team, and he could be included in the World Cup.

All rounder Hardik Pandya, known for his six hitting skills, and who can chip in with his medium pace also looks a certainty.

Allrounder Shardul Thakur, who plays for Mumbai in the domestic circuit, could be included the squad. And so Shubman Gill, who has been impressive, through his short career.

The 2023 ODI World Cup will be played at different venues in India, including Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune, Dharamshala.

The summit clash will be played at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad, which has a capacity to house over one lakh people.

India have won two ODI World Cups - in 1983 when the team was led by all-rounder Kapil Dev and defeated the mighty West Indies, led by Clive Lloyd and in 2011 when the Mahendra Singh Dhoni led team defeated Sri Lanka at the iconic Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on April 2, with Gautam Gambhir top-scoring.

India have won other two ICC Trophies - 2007 ICC inaugural T20 World Cup held in South Africa when the Mahendra Singh Dhoni led Men in Blue defeated arch rivals Pakistan in the final and the 2013 Champions Trophy in England.