ICC CWC 2023: Left vs Right-handed Best Players 11 Comparison

Rohit Sharma and David Warner in focus as we look at the champion Left vs Right-handed players 11 for the ICC ODI World Cup (CWC) 2023.

Left-handed and Right-handed players comparison is always exciting to see. Right from the start of the game, we have seen players batting right-handed or left-handed, and also bowling in a similar fashion. However, the game evolved in such a fashion that we now see ambidextrous players who can play either way.

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 will see a right mix of players playing either right-handed or left-handed. With that in mind, it makes us for an interesting comparison if we select the best 11 players across both the playing hands. We can call it the pre-tournament champion left vs right-handed players 11 for CWC 2023.  

But how do we select the best 11 players across each category? Well, to arrive at the playing 11, we shall select the best of at least 3 pure batters, at least 1 wicket-keeper, at least 2 all-rounders, at least 1 spinner, and at least 3 pacers. To remove any biases and perceptions, we will look at the performance of all players in ODI cricket over the last 5 years to select the best 11 players.

ICC CWC 2023 – Champion Left vs Right-Handed Players 11

Openers: David Warner & Quinton de Kock vs Rohit Sharma & Shubman Gill 

First up, we have the openers comparison where we have David Warner and Quinton de Kock for Team LH, and for Team RH, we have Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. This is very interesting as we have two Indian players in Team RH with no other right-handed opener coming close to these two. 

Comparing the RH openers with Team LH, David Warner and Quinton de Kock make up for an interesting pair. While Warner is Australia’s best opener, De Kock is South Africa’s best opener. Other than these two, New Zealand’s Devon Conway is another left-handed opener, who could be in contention. 

Middle-order: D. Malan, S. Al Hasan & B. Stokes vs V. Kohli, B. Azam & G. Maxwell

The Middle-order for Team LH and Team RH makes for a superb comparison. On one hand, we have Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, and Shakib Al Hasan, and on the other hand, we have Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, and Glenn Maxwell. It’s a superb trio in both teams, and it is very difficult to choose the best one.

While Malan, Shakib, and Stokes provide the much-needed stability to the team, Team RH has Virat Kohli and Babar Azam matching the same role. But with Maxwell in the side, Team RH has a slightly explosive batting with superb finishers to follow. Whereas Shakib and Ben Stokes are probably the best all-rounders in the business.

Finishers: David Miller & Ravindra Jadeja vs Hardik Pandya & Heinrich Klaasen

Coming to the finishers, it is again a great set to compare. We have David Miller and Ravindra Jadeja for Team LH. Whereas for Team RH, we have Hardik Pandya and Heinrich Klaasen. On paper, Team RH is extremely explosive. However, Miller’s current form and Jadeja’s superior bowling abilities make Team LH a dangerous combination too. 

Spinner: Kuldeep Yadav vs Rashid Khan

Choosing the best spinner for Team LH vs Team RH, we have Kuldeep Yadav’s Left-arm Wrist spin vs Rashid Khan’s Right-arm Wrist spin. Both are undoubtedly the best spinners in the world currently. However, Kuldeep’s current form can easily beat Rashid Khan’s current form, which isn’t so great. However, potential-wise, Rashid Khan is a winner.

Pacers: M. Starc, Trent Boult & S. Afridi vs M. Henry, J. Bumrah & M. Siraj

Finally, talking about the pacers, we have a great trio to compare for both teams. On one hand, we have the pace and swing of Mitchell Starc, Trent Boult, and Shaheen Afridi. Whereas on the other hand, we have a similar swing and pace of Matt Henry, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj.

On paper, Starc, Boult, and Shaheen would form the best new-ball pair between both teams. But the trio of Henry, Bumrah, and Siraj isn’t far behind too. For Middle overs, Bumrah and Henry hold an edge over Starc and Afridi. Whereas for death overs, Bumrah and Siraj’s duo look better than Starc and Boult. 

ICC CWC 2023 – Best Right-handed Players 11 of the Tournament:

David Warner (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Dawid Malan, Shakib Al Hasan, Ben Stokes, David Miller, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mitchell Starc, Trent Boult & Shaheen Afridi.

ICC CWC 2023 – Best Right-handed Players 11 of the Tournament:

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, Glenn Maxwell, Hardik Pandya, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Rashid Khan, Matt Henry, Jasprit Bumrah & Mohammed Siraj.

So, that’s about the champion Left vs Right-handed players playing 11 for the ICC Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2023. While we have these amazing 22 players, the other players who are equally good, but are missing include Jos Buttler, Devon Conway, Aiden Markram, Kagiso Rabada, Adam Zampa, Shadab Khan, Travis Head, Josh Hazlewood, Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes, Steve Smith, Maheesh Theekshana, etc. 

Thank you so much for reading! What’s your take on the champion left vs right-handed players playing 11 for the ICC Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2023? Please email your thoughts to business@cricalytics.com.

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ALSO READ: CWC 2023: Ranking the Strongest Batting Lineup of All 10 Teams

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