Last Updated: October 02, 2023, 09:44 IST
Rohit Sharma (left) and Jos Buttler. (AFP Photo)
Jos Buttler-led England are in India aiming to win back-to-back ODI World Cup titles.
England ODI captain Jos Buttler will be aiming to emulate his predecessor Eoin Morgan, hoping to inspire his team to a successful defense of the world cup title they famously won for the first time in their history in 2019 beating New Zealand in a nerve-shredding final.
Buttler already has guided England to a T20 World Cup title triumph as captain and was also part of their ODI world title winning squad in 2019 too.
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Ahead of the tournament, the wicketkeeper-batter has revealed his choice of first five players he would pick in his ODI dream XI.
Buttler’s first pick was his England team-mate Adil Rashid, a legspinner, who will play a vital role in the campaign considering the Indian pitches are expected to slow down as the tournament progresses.
Rashid took 11 wickets during the last world cup which was played on his home soil. He will be hoping to reach the milestone of 200 wickets during the tournament.
Next in the list is South African wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock who is set to retire from ODI cricket after the world cup. At the last world cup, he scored three half-centuries including against England and Australia.
India captain Rohit Sharma, who set the 2019 world cup on fire with a record-breaking five centuries, is the third on his list. He’s been tipped to shine in home conditions where he averages 58.42 in ODIs.
Australian big hitter Glenn Maxwell has also made the cut considering his ability to win matches with the bat and the ball too, especially on turning pitches. His part-time offspin played a huge role in Australia clinching a consolation win in a 1-2 ODI series defeat to India last weeek.
The fifth on the list is South African speedster Anrich Nortje who unfortunately is going to miss a second straight ODI World Cup due to injury.
England begin their title defense against New Zealand on October 5 in Ahmedabad.
