India Squad for World Cup 2023: Why is there no off-spinner or right-arm spinner in squad?

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India announced their 15-member squad for the World Cup 2023 on Tuesday. As expected the core members of the Asia Cup 2023 squad made it to the mega ICC event which kicks off from October 5 in India.

Tilak Varma, Prasidh Krishna and Sanju Samson were the three players omitted from India's World Cup squad. The India team looks covered in almost all the departments of the game. There are a total of 11 players who can bat and 8 players who can bowl.

The omission of an off-spinner or a right-arm spinner is the only concern. The instance is rare in India cricket which has always fielded at least one quality right-arm spinner in its World Cup squad.

Off-spinners Harbhajan Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin both were part of India squad in 2011 World Cup. Sachin Tendulkar and Suresh Raina also gave good options. Ashwin and Raina were part of the 2015 World Cup as well. In the 2019 World Cup, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and off-spinner Kedar Jadhav found a place in the squad.

This time around, left-arm chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav has been named alongside Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel - both left-arm spin-bowling all-rounders.

India Squad for World Cup 2023: Why is there no off-spinner or right-arm spinner in the squad?

Explaining the decision, Agarkar admitted that India were aware that Jadeja and Axar were almost identical bowlers. But he added that pacers bowl more in ODIs and the set of three left-arm spinners - Kuldeep, Jadeja and Axar - gave India the best balance.

“Clearly there were discussions as both Jadeja and Axar took the ball away. We would have ideally wanted an off spinner but this gives us the best balance. Pacers bowl more in ODIs anyway. We’re happy with the bowlers we have,” Agarkar said.

The reason is clear. The selectors and the team management could not ignore Axar Patel who has risen in stature considerably after lifting his batting remarkably. He was Delhi Capitals (DC) second-highest run-scorer after David Warner in the IPL 2023. He scored 283 runs in 14 matches at an average of 28.30 and a strike rate of 139.40. The southpaws Test average is an impressive 36.64.

Neither could India ignore Shardul Thakur. In conditions favouring pacers, the Mumbai all-rounder walks in the team as a third pacer who can bat at eight or nine. Under normal circumstances also, Shardul, Hardik Pandya, and two between Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami give India four pace options.

Yuzvendra Chahal, a wrist spinner like Kuldeep Yadav, cannot bat at all. Washington Sundar hasn't proved himself in the recent past to make a direct entry in a World Cup squad and replace someone like Axar Patel.

There is no off-spinner or a right-arm spinner in the squad because there wasn't one who could provide a better depth to the team by replacing Axar Patel and Shardul Thakur.

India Squad for World Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (VC), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj