The 2019 ICC World Cup has drawn to a dramatic close with hosts England clinching the trophy for the first time in a thrilling finale at Lord’s.
For India, the World Cup campaign promised plenty after an excellent round-robin phase that saw the Men in Blue lose just the solitary game on their way to the semi-final.
However, heartbreak lay in store for Virat Kohli and his men in the penultimate stage with the Black Caps stunning them at Old Trafford.
For several of the players in the squad, the 2019 edition was the last chance to clinch World Cup glory and the semi-final exit will come as a bitter pill to swallow.
Among them are veteran MS Dhoni, Shikhar Dhawan, Dinesh Karthik and Kedar Jadhav by the time the next edition rolls around.
Here, we look at how India could look like when they host the 2023 World Cup.
OPENERS
Rohit Sharma
The India deputy skipper will be nearly 36 at the next World Cup edition and it is hard to call whether he will still be at the top of his game then.
The right-hander became the first batsman in history to slam five tons in a single edition but both of his World Cup campaigns have now ended in semi-final failures.
His hunger to clinch a maiden World Cup title might just push him to play on until the 2023 edition.
Prithvi Shaw
The young opener has already made waves in the Test arena with a century on debut and he seems tailor-made for the limited-overs format with his attacking approach.
Shaw has broken umpteen records in run-scoring since his junior cricket days and the 2023 World Cup might just be the time when he begins to reach his peak. Should be an apt replacement for Shikhar Dhawan.
Shaw looks destined for greatness.
Mayank Agarwal
The 28-year-old only warmed the bench this time around after being called in as a late replacement but he should be in the thick of things in 2023.
Agarwal has shown incredible consistency at the domestic and India A level over the last two years and he will be the prime contender to open with Shaw if Rohit’s form or fitness falls away in the coming years.
MIDDLE ORDER
Virat Kohli (Captain)
The India skipper will be 34 for the 2023 edition and should still be at the peak of his powers. Kohli will be haunted by his three consecutive failures in World Cup semi-finals and should be determined to make amends in front of home fans in 2023.
He remains the superstar of Indian cricket and should be able to uphold that reputation for the next few years at least.
KL Rahul
The right-hander had to mostly open the innings in England due to Dhawan’s injury but his future remains in the middle-order. Rahul’s talent with the bat has never been in question and he automatically becomes one of the best batsmen in the team when he brings in consistency to his game.
Shubman Gill
Like Shaw, Gill broke came into prominence after his displays in the 2018 U19 World Cup and has been going from strength to strength ever since. He has already made an excellent start to life in senior professional cricket with some fine displays for Punjab in the Ranji Trophy and for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.
He could become India’s middle-order mainstay for years to come and was handed his senior ODI cap against New Zealand earlier this year.
Shreyas Iyer
The Delhi Capitals skipper was given a brief run at the No4 slot for India in the run-up to the 2019 World Cup but was then sidelined despite putting in decent displays.
The young batsman has been a consistent performer for Mumbai in the domestic circuit and has been leading the India A side for some time now. Should finally get his chance in 2023.
Iyer should finally get an extended run with the ODI team.
WICKETKEEPER
Rishabh Pant
The youngster made it to the plane for England as a late replacement and quickly established himself as a permanent fixture in the playing XI. Pant’s rise in Test and T20 cricket has been a meteoric one and he is a certainty to keep wickets for India in the 2023 edition with Dhoni set to retire in the near future.
Pant is ready to take up Dhoni’s mantle.
ALL-ROUNDER
Hardik Pandya
The all-rounder played some entertaining cameos down the order while also doing an admirable job with the ball for India throughout the tournament.
At 25, Pandya seems to be hitting his peak form and should be a much more accomplished and complete player for the 2023 edition.
SPINNERS
Kuldeep Yadav
The young left-arm wrist-spinner did not have the kind of impact he would have liked in the just concluded edition but he should have bags of experience under his belt by the time the 2023 World Cup arrives.
He has already played 51 ODIs for India so far and should be able to raise his game in the coming years.
Kuldeep will only get better.
Shreyas Gopal
The young Karnataka leg-spinner has put in some impressive displays in the IPL for Rajasthan Royals and has all the variations in the book to become a success in international cricket.
Yuzvendra Chahal could still be around for the 2023 World Cup but Gopal looks to be the best bet if India do decide to adopt a fresh approach for the next edition.
PACERS
Jasprit Bumrah
The World No1 ODI bowler had a terrific maiden World Cup campaign in England and he will be determined to go one step further in 2023. It’s hard to believe that Bumrah is still only 25 and he could be at his peak for the 2023 edition on home soil.
Navdeep Saini
The Delhi-born seamer has been making waves in domestic cricket since making his first-class debut in 2013 and has already earned a Test call-up for India for the one-off match against Afghanistan.
Saini’s white-ball skills have improved greatly of late and he seems to be the natural successor of Mohammed Shami with his pace and control.
Khaleel Ahmed
India desperately lacked a left-arm pace option in England and this could see Khaleel Ahmed being given plenty of opportunities over the next few years.
The youngster has already made a few appearances for the India ODI side and he had an excellent IPL 2019 campaign for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
India need Khaleel’s left-arm pace variation.
