Speaking on the ICC Review, Former Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan, who has an impressive average of 53.70 in ten World Cup games, including three centuries, expressed his desire to have his trusted and experienced Indian teammates Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as his top two picks for the team. 

Virat Kohli has scored almost 13,000 runs at an extraordinary average of 57.32. The 34-year-old also has an impressive record at the World Cup, with over 1,000 runs in 26 games at an average of 46.81 and two centuries. While Rohit shared sensational opening partnerships with Dhawan in ODIs, with the duo fourth on the all-time list for most runs (5,148 runs at an average of 45.55).

The Indian skipper also boasts an outstanding record in the 50-over format, with almost 10,000 runs at an average of 48.69. Rohit is also the only batter with three double centuries in ODIs, averaging 65.20 in 17 World Cup games, including a record five centuries in the 2019 edition.

"The first (picked) is Virat of course. He is the best batter in the world and has been scoring runs like crazy. Rohit is a very experienced customer. He has scored lots of runs in ICC tournaments and bilateral (series) and he's a proven player (on the big stage)," Dhawan said.

Shikhar Dhawan selects three overseas bowlers as his other three picks. He chose Aussie speedster Mitchell Starc, Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan and South African pacer Kagiso Rabada to round off the top five for his dream 2023 World Cup XI.

"I'll go for Mitchell Starc as he is one of the best fast bowlers (in the world). The fourth player will be Rashid Khan with his mystery action. I am sure he'll be very, very impactful (in India) and will take lots of wickets," Dhawan said.

While Dhawan was tempted to opt for Pakistan pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi for the fifth choice, he went with the South African quick due to the presence of a left-arm seamer already in the form of Starc.

"Shaheen Afridi I wouldn't take because then there would be two left-arm pacers, so I'll go for Rabada. Rabada has that extra pace and extra bounce that is going to rush the batters," he added.

The 2023 edition will happen as per the round-robin format in a single group, and the top four ranked teams out of the ten will qualify for the semi-finals. Hosts India will start their campaign against Australia on October 8 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.