Team balance at the forefront of BCCI's priorities

Have the selectors picked the best possible side for the 2023 ODI World Cup The debate rages onThe argument centres on whether inform Ishan Kishan is bettersuited than fitagain KL Rahul as Indiarsquos first choice wicketkeeper Kishan possessing the ability to thrive against leftarm pacers has blown hot and cold in the recentlyconcluded West Indies seriesMore than anything the BCCIs forwardthinking approach and emphasis on youth symbolise the rapid evolution of the modern limitedovers format The present era places an unprecedented premium on athleticism and vitality highlighting the dynamic nature of the game like never beforeWith a doughty 82 against Pakistan in Indiarsquos Asia Cup opener Kishan further made a strong case to be considered in the 15man provisional squad It will be interesting to see how the 25yearold incorporates his aggressive style of batting in the Super Four stage of the Asia CupAlso ReadNajam Sethi questions if India is afraid to lose to PakistanOn the other hand to KL Rahulrsquos credit he has borne the burden well and there is no reason to believe that he will not do the same in the global event should he remain fit While frequent injuries have clouded his career KL Rahulrsquos maturity is a welcome boost for tournament favourites India The 31yearold has been up and down in the last one year but if he can replicate his Wankhede heroics from the threematch ODI series against Australia Rahul should be fineIn fact captain Rohit Sharmarsquos insistence on having both Kishan and Rahul feature in the playing XI was another twist in the tale ldquoYes there is every probability that these two can play together Everyones available to play The selection depends upon who the opposition will berdquo he said But if that happens an injured Rahul would certainly be an unwelcome calamityThe one selection that has social media up in arms is Suryakumar Yadav Given the gluttony of batsmen vying for selection at the moment Yadav will have a trial by fire for Indiarsquos first two opponents are Australia and PakistanSanju Samson meanwhile in another corner is probably scratching his head about how to earn a call up to the Indian squad Performance is one surefire way you may argue But from where In the rotten bylanes of Ranji Trophy cricket Or the IPL Or both Samson batting at an average of 557 in ODIs satisfied both prerequisites and yet faced the axe For those who have witnessed his extraordinary prowess with the bat ball and wicketkeeping the argument stands strong that he is a player of such caliber that leaving him out would be unjustifiablePerhaps more than anything apprehension and fear has kept the board engaged for a long time Who will deliver if the top three fail Who will contribute with runs if ChahalAshwin were to be included in the squad Can Jadeja keep the run flow going if Pandya or Kishan fail The questions were aplentyCan team India establish itself as a batting powerhouse or will it remain a collection of exceptional individuals who havent consistently clicked as a unified force Will the bowlers rise to dominate and dismantle their opponents Only time will reveal the answer as we leave it to fateThe one point that raised the highest amount of chatter was the exclusion of Yuzvendra Chahal Experts were stunned as to how a bowler of Chahals repertoire had been left out of a squad that includes as many as seven bowlers out of which two are leftarm spinners who would not by any means feature in the same playing XI together Moreover the leftarm spin of Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja may not help Indiarsquos cause if there are more lefthanders in the oppositionConsidering Indias challenge in discovering talented and effective spinners there was a valid debate about whether the selectors made an error in omitting Chahal from the squad The decision to prioritise a stronger batting lineup over him may potentially prove costly if chinaman Kuldeep fails to conjure his mesmerising wristspin magic when its needed mostFormer Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar called out his exclusion and asserted that India tinkers with their batting order following every defeat with little to no accountability Not picking Chahal is beyond me The odd thing for India is that when they score 220230 they increase one batter If the top 5 do not bat well how will the No 8 bat Akhtar remarkedAnother question that pops up in the mind is whether home court will truly be an advantage to the Blue Army With several foreign recruits in the IPL nonfamiliarity with Indian conditions can no longer be passed off as an excuse trotted out by the English Australians and the KiwisImportantly Kohli and Sharma aside Indias squad announcement is an injection of confidence and belief in the emerging group that has impressively maintained Indias position at the pinnacle of oneday cricket with the transitional period already into effectIn fact instead of turning to former sources of strength like Shikhar Dhawan or Bhuvneshwar Kumar at a critical juncture the boardrsquos forwardthinking selections will have buoyed those on the fringe of the 50over side And by the composition of its current squad the Men in Blue should be able to put together exactly thatDespite the uncertainties surrounding the venue and conditions of the 2021 T20 World Cup India was initially not considered one of the top contenders for the tournament However by focusing on the future and forging ahead they have guaranteed themselves a spot among the most wellprepared teams for the upcoming event next monthIndia 15player squad Rohit Sharma Captain Shubman Gill Virat Kohli Shreyas Iyer KL Rahul Ishan Kishan Suryakumar Yadav Hardik Pandya Ravindra Jadeja Axar Patel Shardul Thakur Jasprit Bumrah Kuldeep Yadav Mohammed Shami Mohammed Siraj