World Test Championship final : On April 25th, the BCCI announced a 15-member team for the eagerly-awaited World Test Championship 2021-23 finale. The final will take place from June 7th to June 11th at the Oval in London, and will feature Rohit Sharma as the captain. This team will be playing against Australia in the much-anticipated WTC final. Experienced cricketer Ajinkya Rahane has been included in the team for the upcoming series, following his impressive performances in domestic cricket and Indian Premier League 2023. The 15-man squad also includes all-rounder Shardul Thakur.
Jaydev Unadkat, a left-arm pacer, has maintained his position in a five-man pace group, which includes Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Umesh Yadav. Shubman Gill is anticipated to be the opening batsman along with the captain Rohit Sharma. In addition, KL Rahul has also been selected to be part of the squad. Ishan Kishan who was a wicketkeeper and batter in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been omitted from the squad. Despite his underwhelming performance in the 4-Test series against Australia at home in February-March, KS Bharat has been selected as the primary wicketkeeper-batter.
Ajinkya Rahane is Back !
On the strength of his regular performances, Ajinkya Rahane, who last represented India during their tour of South Africa in 2022, rejoins the team. In the absence of Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, both of whom are injured, the selectors chose to play it safe by choosing Rahane.
In the Ranji Trophy 2022–23, Rahane scored 634 runs for Mumbai, scoring 2 centuries—including a double century—in 7 games. With a strike rate of almost 200, he has been in outstanding form for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2023.
Rahane and KL Rahul may compete for a berth in the middle order, while Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara will be a key component of an effective top order for India.
India was eligible to compete in the World Test Championship.
World Test Championship final : Venue & Date
India Vs Australia
Venue – The Oval, London
Date & Time – Wed 07 – Sun 11 June, 15:00 (IST)
Indian Squad For WTC Final
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, K L Rahul, KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat.
Australia Squad For WTC Final
Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vice-captain), Mitchell Starc, David Warner