Anil Kumble identifies a significant weakness in the Team India ODI World Cup 2023 lineup. The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 is just a few months away, and cricket fans around the globe are excitedly anticipating the tournament’s October 5 start in India. Expectations are high among fans as India gets ready to host the World Cup after a lengthy break since their victory in 2011.
But in the midst of all the anticipation and joy, veteran Indian spinner Anil Kumble has revealed a key weakness in the Team India ODI World Cup roster.
Recently, Team India unveiled a strong lineup for the 2023 ODI World Cup, earning acclaim from many experts and supporters alike. The team consists of seasoned players, elite batters, talented bowlers, and motivated young players. However, Kumble feels that the team put together by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) lacks in one critical area that needs to be rectified.
Kumble recently discussed the urgent need for more all-rounders in the Indian ODI World Cup roster with ESPNcricinfo. He emphasised that having batsmen who can bowl is just as vital as having bowlers who can contribute with the bat in terms of boosting the depth of the team.
Even more, Kumble emphasised that India missed the chance to produce players with these essential all-around abilities during the four years between World Cups.
The need for more all-rounders, which has never been addressed, was arguably the one issue that needed to be resolved from the previous World Cup to this World Cup (I’m referring to the ODI World Cup). You don’t have batters who can come and provide you those options, and the hitting assistance you receive from bowlers is only incidental. However, in my opinion, the depth is increased by hitters offering you bowling alternatives, remarked Kumble.
“We needed to nurture those players over a four-year period. The players that needed instructions had to be named, and they had to be told, “Okay, you guys are going to give me options. Yashasvi Jaiswal, for instance, bowls a little bit of leg break, as you are aware. But I haven’t watched him bowl in a game in a year,” he continued.
The veteran Karnataka player stressed the importance of having all-rounders in the Indian batting order as he came to a conclusion. In order to further illustrate his point, he provided an example and stated that, in a perfect world, Ravindra Jadeja would bat at number eight rather than number seven as he does in the current lineup.
