India and Australia will contest the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final, the former looking for their third world title while the latter their sixth. Odds favour the Men in Blue, if only just, given their home advantage. The previous three iterations of the ODII World Cup have each witnessed a home champion, a streak India will be keen on stretching for four more years, at least, on November 19 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.(Match Blog | Streaming | Scorecard | Full Coverage)
India have been the sum of its parts in the tournament, so far. The team has functioned like a well-oiled machine with each component working efficiently toward the desired result. That, however, does not mean that individuals have not stood out of the collective through their brilliant displays. With that in mind, here's a look at five of India's best performers at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.
Virat Kohli
Not just for India, but if there has been a standout player of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, then that is Virat Kohli. Coming into the tournament on the back of four uncertain years - a time during which he lost his captaincy - Kohli answered those who doubted whether the 35-year-old hitman still had it in him by racking up 711 runs in ten games, which incuded three centuries!
Currently the top-scorer of the tournament, and likely to retain that title depite the outcome of Sunday's final, Kohli also set or surpassed several records across the contest. A calming presence in the Indian top order, Kohli will look to end the World Cup positively by claiming his second and his team's third title.
Rohit Sharma
While Virat Kohli may have stolen the limelight, Rohit Sharma's contribution to the Indian team in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 is no less. Captaining the side through an unbeaten league stage campaign, Sharma has often served as the anchor of the Indian top order, keeping things stable while Shubman Gill and, later, Kohli do the damage - all while himself scoring at an incredible rate.
Sharma has 550 runs in ten innings and is one of the top ten run-scorers in the tournament at the time of writing. The Indian skipper has maintained a stable rate of 55 runs per match and even crossed the 100-run mark against Afghanistan.
Shreyas Iyer
Unquestionably the most surprising performer in the Indian contingent to the World Cup 2023, Shreyas Iyer's power-packed innings from the middle order have helped his team scale heights which otherwise would have proved challenging. Answering his critics in the best way possible, Iyer has sneakily crept up the run-scorers charts, too, leaving his compatriots Shubman Gill and KL Rahul behind, courtesy of his successive tons against the Netherlands and New Zealand.
Iyer has scored marginally fewer runs (527) than Sharma in the same number of games and will be looking to continue his fine form of late when India meet Australia in the final on November 19.
Mohammed Shami
Fortune brought Mohammed Shami into the Indian XI. Initially on the peripheries, the Indian pacer was drafted into the team following an unfortunate injury to vice-captain Hardik Pandya. While the all-rounder's loss hurt the Men in Blue, Shami's brilliant displays since have mitigated the despair; some may even suggest his chance inclusion was the catalyst that took India's dominance up a level.
Shami is the tournament's leading wicket-taker, a feat he accomplished by taking seven wickets against New Zealand. His 23-wicket-haul in the tournament also includes two fifers and other such scintillating spells that left the batters dumbfounded.
Ravindra Jadeja
While there were many contenders for the elusive fifth spot, its ultimate occupant is Ravindra Jadeja, whose performances with the ball and in the field give him just the slightest of advantages over the likes of KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, and Jasprit Bumrah.
Whether he is confounding his opponents with his spin or galloping across the green to save runs through whichever means neccessary, Jadeja has been a crucial cog in the rampant Indian machine. He has claimed 16 wickets so far, only two fewer than Bumrah, and showed how useful his prowess in the field is against New Zealand by taking three crucial catches when his team needed to pick wickets up desperately.
