'No one is an automatic selection, even I'm not' - Rohit Sharma's bombastic remark on World Cup squad selection

The ODI World Cup 2023 is less than two months away as all teams are finalizing their squad for the mega event. The Indian team also needs to fill several vacant spots as numerous regular players are down with injuries. Recently, talking about the team combination for the mega event, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma said that no one is an automatic selection, not even he himself. 

"No one is an automatic selection, even I'm not. We have this thing where nobody is guaranteed a spot," said Rohit.

Notably, India have several selection conundrums, particularly for the middle order and the wicketkeeper’s slot with injuries to Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul. While Pant isn’t expected to be fit in time for the World Cup, there’s uncertainty about Rahul and Iyer’s fitness ahead of the mega event.

There were widespread reports of Iyer getting selected for the three-match T20I series against Ireland, beginning from August 18, to kickstart his World Cup preparations. However, his absence from the squad further put his road to recovery in complete obscurity.

Despite that, Sharma gave an update on his condition recently and stated that he’s on track to full fitness. On the other hand, Rahul has shown good progress during his rehabilitation and is expected to be back in the team for the Asia Cup 2023. However, before selection, the 31-year-old will have to prove his match fitness. Rahul will undergo a 50-over match simulation before the Asia Cup to determine whether he will be able to keep wickets for 50 overs.

Jasprit Bumrah to make a comeback in Ireland T20I series

Meanwhile, speedster Jasprit Bumrah is all set to make a return to the team in the T20I series vs Ireland as he will be seen captaining the young Indian side. Bumrah has been out of action since September 2022 and missed out on two important ICC events, namely the T20 World Cup 2022 and the World Test Championship final 2023. 

The team management has a lot of thinking to do to select the strongest squad for the World Cup scheduled to be held in India from October 05.