StaffAs you have observed, the performance of the Indian cricket team was riddled with disappointments in 2022. Apart from a handful of bilateral series victories over the weaker teams, there were no good outcomes from the team’s hard work. The embarrassing loss in the World T20 2022 semifinal by ten wickets against England was a wake-up call for the entire team. Due to such disappointments, a new team has been chosen to play in the upcoming series and tournaments. Despite its formidable position in the world rankings for all cricket formats, the team does not fit into the upcoming international events to make an impact. In this aspect, let us take a quick look at the upcoming challenges of the Indian cricket team in 2023.
2023 challenges for Indian Cricket
- BCCI Selection Committee
It is evident from the team’s performance that the future of veteran Indian cricketers such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and Rahul Dravid as the head coach is hanging on a balance. 2023 is the year of the ICC ODI World Cup. It has been 12 years since India has yet to organize this auspicious event that the world has been waiting for. India has gotten the right to organize this exclusive event, but the team is not ready yet. To summarize the challenges the team is and will face, we must consider the non-stop series and tournaments the team has been playing since the beginning of 2023. In fact, todays match prediction for the fans becomes a more straightforward approach considering how tired the team becomes due to such participation. In this context, we should consider the fact that India had to face the early T20 World Cup exit. Due to such an event, the old selection committee led by Chetan Sharma was sacked in November 2022. A new team selection panel is all set for the ICC World Cup 2023, and BCCI has advertised to welcome the application for selection committee members. What happened to the entire selection panel? Well, Chetan Sharma was sacked after a sting operation was conducted. It is now headed by Shiv Sundar Das, Shridharan Sharath, and Salil Ankola. The BCCI is still looking for promising selectors who can see the players’ potential and make a strong team for the upcoming challenges. It seems that choosing a BCCI selector itself is a challenge the Indian team is facing.
- ICC ODI World Cup 2023
There is no need to introduce the importance of this international event for the cricket fans of India. India has won the right to host this international event after 12 years, and the whole country is eagerly waiting to see its formidable cricketers perform. The expectation of the entire nation is brimming with excitement. The real question is whether the Indian cricket team is ready for the challenge or not. The turmoil in the BCCI selection committee after the T20 and World Test Championship loss has replaced the previous team. We should also keep in mind that the Indian cricket team has not brought an ICC title home after winning the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013. The whole nation is waiting for a brilliant show from the team this time. It is quite a challenge for the Indian players now.
- Asia Cup 2023
The international team is all set to participate in Asia Cup 2023. India has won this title seven times and is ready to face Pakistan in multiple matches. Imagine the thrill among the fans of both nations. It is scheduled from 31st August to 17th September 2023. India is in the same group as Pakistan in this 16th edition of the Asia Cup. The clash for this title will be phenomenal as Group 1 has India, Pakistan, and Nepal. Group 2 comprises Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. The match dates are fixed, but the teams are yet to be announced.
- Captaincy on the line
The upcoming international events are enough to give a pulse to the fans. The team is currently facing a crisis in captaincy. Rohit Sharma, the current captain for all cricket formats, needs a successor. The choice of a new captain will decide the Indian cricket team’s fate in these international events. As per the performance, Hardik Pandya is a prime choice for T20s, whereas KL Rahul is the vice-captain now. It will be decided by the new BCCI selection committee ahead of these events.
- Indian Head Coach
Rahul Dravid, known as the Wall of Indian cricket, is the current head coach. His tenure will end after the ICC World Cup 2023. The former Indian captain has not seen better days during his coach tenure. Despite his supervision, the Indian team has also failed to show dominance in the test cricket format. It seems that the Indian cricket team needs a formidable head coach to make good progress in all formats, especially in the upcoming international events in 2023.
Challenges will make India stronger
Despite these challenges looming on Indian cricket, the fans are optimistic that the team has some cards left up on their sleeves to display. The upcoming international events will be the right place to showcase the high spirit of the players. It depends on how the new selection committee brings the best players on board. It all depends on the performance of these players on the field. Nevertheless, the fans are waiting eagerly for the Asia Cup and ICC World Cup to happen to check and predict the form of all veterans and budding cricketers.
