Having received a clearance certificate on his fitness from the NCA, KL Rahul is set to be included in India's 15-member provisional World Cup squad, which will be announced by Tuesday.
Rahul has been recuperating at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru post a thigh surgery, and he will have one final round of fitness drills before flying out to Sri Lanka to join the Indian team for the ongoing Asia Cup.
It is understood that the NCA trainers and the team management have been left with little doubt after Rahul batted extensively at nets and in the match simulation process.
India is expected to announce their World Cup-bound 15 within the September 5 cut off date.But the selectors decided to go ahead with the announcement after Rahul received the fitness clearance.
He can be expected to keep wickets too in the World Cup. Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar had reached Pallekele on Saturday, and it is understood that he held discussions with captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid post India's match against Pakistan, which was abandoned due to rain.
Ishan Kishan will be the second wicketkeeper in the side and his composed 81 against Pakistan on Saturday was the clincher.
It means that Sanju Samson will miss out on an India berth. Samson is in Sri Lanka with the Indian team as a travelling reserve.Suryakumar Yadav too has found a place in the squad despite his less than satisfactory outings in the ODIs.
Suryakumar could not get going in the ODIs against West Indies (July-August), making just 78 runs from three matches averaging 26.
However, the team management felt that the Mumbaikar can add further meat to the middle-order.
In batting apart from skipper Rohit, players like Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer were automatic picks. Hence, Tilak Varma will have to sit out for the moment.
Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami will handle the pace department along with all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur.
So, Prasidh Krishna, who is part of the India squad for the Asia Cup, will not be featured in the World Cup squad.
The spin unit will be led by left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who has been in fine fettle this year. Kuldeep is India's highest wicket-taker in ODIs in 2023, taking 22 wickets in 11 matches. Kuldeep and Ravindra Jadeja will be India's two first-choice spinners.
This will be the second World Cup for Kuldeep as he had played 7 matches for India in the 2019 World Cup, picking up 6 wickets in England.
The selectors and the management thought deeply about the third spinner and zeroed in on left-arm spinner Axar Patel, whom they thought will also give a bit more depth in batting if needed.
In that context, veterans R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal, who had plucked 12 wickets from 8 matches in the 2019 World Cup, will miss the cut.
India's provisional squad for World Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Axar Patel, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav. Had Rohit or Virat scored would you have debated KL's inclusion? asks Gambhir. Mumbai, Sep 3 (PTI) Ishan Kishan has "done everything" to earn a place ahead of KL Rahul for the World Cup and the Karnataka batter would not even have been considered if he was competing with Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli, says Gautam Gambhir.
Kishan scored a crucial 82 to arrest India's slide in their Asia Cup opener against Pakistan on Saturday, a game which was washed out but witnessed the wicketkeeper-batter recording his fourth consecutive ODI fifty.
At No 5, Kishan's knock against Pakistan not only rescued India but made him a firm favourite for the wicketkeeper-batter position ahead of Rahul, who is missing the starting stages of the continental tournament due to an injury.
Gambhir said India should prefer "form over name" for the World Cup with the host country's squad expected to be announced by Tuesday.
"Tell me something, what is more important to win a championship - name or form? If Rohit (Sharma) or Virat (Kohli) had scored something similar (four consecutive fifties), would you still say that KL Rahul would replace them?" Gambhir told Disney-Hotstar.
"The point is, when you're gearing up to win the World Cup, you don't see the name, you judge by their form. You choose the player who can perform and win you the World Cup," Gambhir said.
The 2007 and 2011 World Cup winner Gambhir said Kishan has done enough to earn a spot in the Indian side.
"I feel Ishan Kishan has done everything he needs to do to be a frontrunner," he said.
"Just because he is Ishan Kishan and hasn't played a lot of international cricket, you're saying that KL Rahul should play before him," he said.
"But if Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma were in place of Ishan Kishan, would KL Rahul be able to replace them? The answer is 'no'," Gambhir added.
Gambhir emphasised on having Kishan ahead of Rahul at No 5, saying their selections could have been debated if the former's runs against Pakistan had come at the top of the order.