Veteran Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan took to social media to share a heartfelt message after being omitted from India’s 15-man squad for the ICC World Cup 2023. Dhawan extended his congratulations to his fellow teammates who were selected for the World Cup and expressed his unwavering support and prayers for the team’s success. He urged them to give their all, bring the coveted trophy back home, and make the entire nation proud.
In his tweet, Dhawan said, “Congratulations to my fellow teammates & friends chosen to represent India in the WC 2023 tournament! With the prayers and support of 1.5 billion people, you carry our hopes and dreams. May you bring the cup back home and make us proud! Go all out, Team India! #ChakDePhatte #WorldCup.”
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the provisional 15-man squad for the ICC World Cup 2023 on Tuesday, October 5th. Despite his impressive track record in ICC events, Shikhar Dhawan, who has not played an ODI since December of the previous year, was not included in the squad. His omission was primarily attributed to his recent poor performance in one-day internationals. His last appearance for the team was in December 2022 against Bangladesh, where he struggled to maintain consistency. As a result, Shubman Gill replaced him in the team and earned his spot in the playing XI. This marks Dhawan’s first absence from an ICC 50-overs event in a decade.
Congratulations to my fellow team mates & friends chosen to represent India in the WC 2023 tournament! With the prayers and support of 1.5 billion people, you carry our hopes and dreams.
May you bring the cup back home 🏆 and make us proud! Go all out, Team India! 🇮🇳… https://t.co/WbVmD0Fsl5— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) September 6, 2023
In previous ICC One-Day International World Cups (2015 and 2019), Dhawan showcased his prowess, amassing 537 runs in eight innings. His ODI World Cup average surged from 44.11 to an impressive 53.70. Notably, he registered three centuries and one half-century in these eight matches. In ODI World Cups, Dhawan consistently scored 50 or more runs in every other inning, a remarkable feat compared to his career average of achieving this milestone every three innings.
India’s Squad for ODI World Cup 2023:
- 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
