The cricketing world gears up for the highly anticipated 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, which takes place later this year in India. The hosts, with massive support from the crowd, are one of the favourites to lift the cup. They achieved the feat in 1983 in England and in 2011 at home.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced the 15-member squad earlier this month. Rohit Sharma will be leading the team in the competition. Their recent 2023 Asia Cup title win and the series win against Australia will boost their confidence heading into the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup. In this article, we take a look a the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats for Team India ahead of the mega-event.
SWOT Analysis of Team India
Strengths:
Team India has one of the best batting line-ups of the tournament. They have a good mix of experience and youth in the line-up. The likes of Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli provide solidity in the top order, while Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Shardul Thakur provide depth to the side.
The Indian batters are in great form as witnessed in the recent series. Gill was the leading run-scorer in the Asia Cup as well as the Australia series. He has had a terrific run this year in the format smashing four centuries. He will be key to India’s success at the World Cup.
Meanwhile, the likes of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli also averaged 50 plus in ODIs this year. Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav too have shown promising signs in the Australis series. Shreyas scored 156 runs in three matches while Suryakumar slammed 130 runs.
India also has a fearsome bowling attack, featuring Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav. Kuldeep is the leading wicket-taker in the format for India this year, picking 31 wickets in 16 matches. Mohammed Siraj is second on the list with 29 wickets, including a six-wicket haul in the Asia Cup final. Shami also showcased his prowess during the Australia series, picking six wickets in two matches.
Weaknesses:
Team India has been struggling with injuries over the last few months. Some of India’s key players, such as the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer have had trouble with recurring injuries. All-rounder Axar Patel has been ruled out of the tournament. Ashwin will be replacing him in the final squad.
India’s lower batting order might be a concern for them in the World Cup. Most of the teams have top-quality all-rounders who provide balance to the team. However, the batting inability of Indian bowlers can prove to be a liability.
Opportunities:
The upcoming ICC ODI World Cup is an opportunity for the likes of Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan to showcase their talent on the world stage. This is their maiden ODI World Cup, and they will be keen to grab the opportunity. It will also establish them as integral players in the team. Shubman Gill is settled at the top of the order. However, Ishan Kishan, being the second wicket-keeping option has a great chance to seal the spot for the future.
Threats:
The Indian batters have been in great form, however, they have to perform together as a unit. They suffered mini-collapses in the batting order, which has hampered their chances of putting on big scores. They pulled off some good scores against Australia and will have to continue doing so. The likes of Australia, South Africa, and England possess strong batting units, which are capable of scoring 400+ runs. Hence, India needs to be wary of their batting collapses.
Squads:
Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav