Ravi Shastri names team India's X-factor in ICC World Cup 2023, he's not Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli

The ICC World Cup 2023 is just around the corner with England set to face New Zealand in the opening match on October 5. India, the host nation, is preparing to kick off their campaign against Australia on October 8 at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai.

Meanwhile, in a recent assessment of the Indian cricket team, former opener Ravi Shastri shifted the spotlight away from the usual suspects of Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma and highlighted Suryakumar Yadav as the X-factor for the Men in Blue in ICC events. Shastri expressed a keen interest in Yadav's performance, emphasizing that if the top order is performing well and the team has depth in the batting lineup, Yadav becomes a crucial player.

Shastri explained, "If the top order is performing well and you have 6-7-8 players, then you would choose between him and Shreyas Iyer for the current moment However, if all the batters are scoring runs, then that player becomes the X-factor in a big game. He can win you the game because of the damage he can do with Hardik at 6-7-8. They can take the game away from the opposition in the last 6-7 overs. Therefore, you must consider that X-factor. I understand that your batting may be struggling, but that is not the case."

While Suryakumar Yadav performed impressively for the Men in Blue in the recent bilateral series against Australia, he faces competition from KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer in the middle order, making the selection choices intriguing as India gears up for the World Cup.