Having Ravindra Jadeja along with Hardik Pandya provides India a lot of balance, reckons Wasim Jaffer

The much-anticipated 2023 World Cup will be played in India. The last time the 50-over World Cup was hosted by India, the Men in Blue, under the leadership of MS Dhoni, lifted the trophy after 28 long years. Fans across the country are hopeful to see something similar when the star-studded Indian lineup, comprising Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, hunt for glory next year.

However, a lot of things need to be rectified if India want to repeat the historic feat. The first and foremost will be a balanced playing XI which can bat deep as well as have handy bowlers. For that, Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya are their trump cards at present and former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer believes they must remain fully fit to provide the side with much-required balance. At the same time, he mentioned how India were structured during the 2011 World Cup winning campaign.

"I think the key area for India to look at before the 2023 World Cup would be to get an all-rounder. I feel it’s very important for Hardik Pandya to be fit to bowl. Having Ravindra Jadeja along with him will provide a lot of balance," Jaffer said in an interview with CricTracker.

"It’s great if we have two all-rounders. In the 2011 World Cup, we had plenty of options. Suresh Raina, and Virender Sehwag were able to contribute with the ball. Yuvraj Singh, in particular, contributed a lot to the bowling department besides his batting heroics. We also need depth in our batting department. If we bat up to 8 or 9, it would be vital. For example, Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur can come in. Allrounders will bring in a lot of depth. That will make the Indian team very strong."