2023 is big for Indian cricket, and Rohit Sharma in particular. After the 2022 T20 World Cup heartbreak – where India faced a devastating 10-wicket loss to England in the semi-finals – Rohit will lead the side in the fifty-over World Cup later this year. And the side will carry significant expectations this time around, as the marquee tournament takes place at home in October-November. The side kickstarted its preparations this year with wins in the bilateral series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, but faced a disappointing 1-2 defeat to Australia right before the Indian Premier League season.
To add to the worries, India endured a number of injury setbacks in the build-up to the World Cup; Jasprit Bumrah has remained unavailable for the side ever since September last year, while wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is highly likely to miss the tournament as he continues to recovery from injuries after the car crash last year. In March, Shreyas Iyer also suffered from a back injury that requires a surgery, and he is set to miss the World Test Championship final that takes place in June.
Amid speculations over the players' potential returns and possible additions to the squad, former India cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth was asked to name his best XI for the World Cup during his commentary stint on Star Sports for the IPL. Srikkanth, known for his outspokenness, didn't shy away from naming the eleven players right away, and also made a rather savage remark towards his co-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar.
{{/usCountry}}Amid speculations over the players' potential returns and possible additions to the squad, former India cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth was asked to name his best XI for the World Cup during his commentary stint on Star Sports for the IPL. Srikkanth, known for his outspokenness, didn't shy away from naming the eleven players right away, and also made a rather savage remark towards his co-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar.
{{/usCountry}}“Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, number four I'll still pick Suryakumar Yadav. KL Rahul could be fifth, Hardik Pandya sixth. Ravindra Jadeja at 7, Axar Patel, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj,” Srikkanth said.
When Manjrekar said that Shardul Thakur could also be a useful option in the XI, Srikkanth was quick to brush away the suggestion and said, “Not Shardul. Arshdeep could be there. Shardul can take wickets, but he can also concede 12 runs in an over. You're from Mumbai, that's why you're naming Shardul!”
The remark from Srikkanth left both, Manjrekar and Yusuf Pathan – the other commentator – in splits.
“Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav; two of these spinners can play in the XI,” Srikkanth concluded.