“It will be unfortunate if you don’t play him,” Harbhajan Singh names key player for Team India in 2023 World Cup

India will begin their World Cup campaign against Australia in Chennai on October 8.

Earlier this week, the International Cricket Council released the complete fixtures for the 2023 ODI World Cup, slated to be held in India.

The quadrennial event will get underway on October 5 with England versus New Zealand clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Hosts India will kick-off their campaign on October 8 against five-time World Cup champions Australia at Chepauk.

As the countdown begins for the showpiece tournament, the fans and experts have started picking the possible squad and the key players for Team India.

Speaking to Star Spots, former spinner and 2011 World Cup winner Harbhajan Singh opined that skipper Rohit Sharma and young batter Shubman Gill will be the key players for India.

“If I talk about India, it comes back to your opening partnership. A lot will depend on Rohit Sharma. Shubman Gill - I hope he is part of the team. It will be unfortunate if you don’t play him,” Harbhajan said.

“I think Shubman Gill will be the key. He bats extremely well in Indian conditions. In bowling, Ravindra Jadeja, if he fires like we saw in the IPL, where he picked up more than 20 wickets,” he added.

When asked about a key player from the Australian camp, the spin legend mentioned the name of young all-rounder Cameron Green.

“If you are talking about Australia, I would like to take Green’s name. Cameron Green will be very, very dangerous. He brings not just batting but also bowling and fielding - unbelievable talent,” Harbhajan said.

“He (Green) has played in India. He played exceptionally well in the IPL. He knows the conditions and he can be very dangerous there. Then if you talk about Zampa, he can be another addition who can be extremely dangerous. I think these will be the key players for India and Australia,” he added.

The 50-over World Cup will be played in a round-robin format, where all 10 teams will play each other before the top four sides will qualify for the semi-finals.

The first semi-final will be held in Mumbai on November 15 and the second semi-final will take place in Kolkata the following day. The final is scheduled for November 19 in Ahmedabad.