5 players who might not find a place in India's 2023 World Cup squad

The last time India hosted a World Cup was in 2011 when MS Dhoni served as captain. Twelve years later, India will once again host the 50-over World Championship, and they are arguably the strongest contenders to win at home. To make history again, the team is prepared to sacrifice blood, sweat, and tears. And thus the best of the players will be selected while several might end up heartbroken.

The international teams will be focused on putting together the ideal team lineup with the World Cup scheduled in India this year. Since there haven't been many ODI matches, team managements will want to start assembling their squad for the important competition. The board has also looked to streamline the final squad, which could also mean that players might feel rather unlucky to have missed out on this major event. 

However, as the global event gets closer, some players are facing injury concerns, while many are unable to prove with their performances. This might result in them being disqualified from the ODI World Cup. Rahul Dravid, the team's head coach, had earlier said that the team would try to choose just 17 or 18 players from the pool of players. Keeping that in mind, there will undoubtedly be fierce competition for the spots available, which will force some players to miss the tournament. 

Let's look at five Indian players who might not find a place in the 2023 World Cup squad

5. Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant has been sidelined ever since he sustained injuries in the deadly car accident. Pant, India's top wicketkeeper-batter, is still healing from a torn ligament he suffered in the accident in December 2022. The 25-year-old has made steady progress, but due to the severity of his injury, a full recovery will take a long time. 

Rishabh Pant is a key member of the Indian team, and his participation in important games like the 2019 World Cup benefited India in pressure-filled situations. Pant would have given a team, that was primarily made up of right-handers, the option of a left-handed batter. Additionally, it might be problematic without a reliable wicketkeeper like Pant on Indian pitches that may be spin-friendly. 

Due to his medical conditions, Rishabh Pant had to take a long break from playing cricket. Pant missed all the major Indian international tournaments, including the Border Gavaskar Trophy and Indian Premier League in 2023. And will also miss the eagerly anticipated ICC World Cup.