'It'll be Unfortunate if You Don't Play Him': Harbhajan Names Key Batter for India in World Cup 2023

The fixture of the ICC World Cup 2023 is out and India will be beginning their campaign against 5-time champion Australia in Chennai on October 8. The extravagant event will be played across 10 venues in the country with the semi-finals to be held in Mumbai and Kolkata while the grand finale will be played at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

As the tournament approaches, the fans and experts have begun speculating about the possible squad and the key players of Team India. Former India spinner and 2011 World Cup winner Harbhajan Singh has named Rohit Sharma as one of the crucial cogs who could play a massive role in turning India’s fortunes in the upcoming ICC event.

Back in 2019, Rohit was the highest scorer of the World Cup with 648 runs in nine games, including 5 hundreds which is a world record for most tons in a single edition. Speaking with Star Spots, Harbhajan opined that Rohit and young batter Shubman Gill will be the batters to watch out for.

“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 told Star Sports.

“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.

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder had a terrific outing in IPL 2023. He picked up 20 wickets in the season at a decent economy rate of 7.56 in the 16 matches, helping his team clinch the 5^th title.

Harbhajan was also asked about his choice of a key player from the Australian camp. The spin legend said Cameron Green could be the one.

“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.