3 current non-injured players who might miss out on India's 2023 World Cup squad

With the Indian Premier League (IPL) taking center stage, preparations for the World Cup will be put on hold for most international sides with most of their players unavailable. However, it won't take too long for the focus to shift back to the ultimate prize in cricket once the two-month festival of T20 cricket is over.

Earlier this month, India lost an ODI series against Australia at home. Despite the series loss, there were quite a few takeaways from the series. Head coach Rahul Dravid stated that the team will look to narrow down their pool of players to 17-18 players, carrying on from the series to have a set side for the Asia Cup.

So, most of the players who were a part of the squad in the series against Australia are expected to keep their place, barring injuries. That, of course, means there will be a few who will miss out. On that note, let's take a look at three players who aren't injured that might miss out on India's squad for the 2023 World Cup.

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#1 Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson is a special player who has carved out his own cult of fan followers because of his feats in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The elegant wicketkeeper batter hasn't been able to cement his place in the national side though, despite some decent numbers

In 10 innings, Samson has scored 330 runs, including a couple of half-centuries while batting lower down the batting order than he usually does. With KL Rahul flourishing with the gloves in the ODI setup, he is most likely to hold onto that slot with Ishan Kishan as his backup.

Unfortunately, Samson's fans might be left disappointed once more, but he will have another chance to catch the eye during the IPL.

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#2 Shikhar Dhawan

The 37-year-old captained a second-string Indian side on a few occasions, doing a commendable job with the utmost integrity. Shubman Gill might have pipped him in the pecking order to take the opening spot in the Indian ODI setup, but Shikhar Dhawan deserves some credit for how he has paved the way for the youngster.

With Gill almost certain to start at the top of the order alongside Rohit Sharma, the Punjab Kings captain might have already played his last game for the Men in Blue. Dhawan has been a key member of the ODI setup for nearly a decade and was usually the man for the occasion when the big tournaments came along.

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#3 Deepak Hooda

Deepak Hooda had a fairly successful year in 2022, making his mark on the Indian white-ball side and also getting himself into the T20 World Cup squad. Whenever given the opportunity, the all-rounder has put his hand up to contribute to the team, be it with bat or ball.

The Lucknow Super Giants all-rounder offered enough utility with his fielding also being a notable factor. However, he hasn't been able to cement his place in the side with Axar Patel and Washington Sundar getting the nod ahead of him.