CWC 2019: 3 players who might still be in contention for India’s 2019 World Cup squad

These three players still have an outside chance of making it into the Indian squad for the 2019 World Cup.

The BCCI selection panel recently announced its squad for the five-match ODI series against Australia and with the players that they selected, they virtually named the players who might feature for India in the upcoming 2019 World Cup in England and Wales.

The squad saw the returns of captain Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah in the team, and some rest was given to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Rishabh Pant returned to the Indian ODI fold.

The addition of KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Vijay Shankar in the ODI team for the Australia series has given the experts and Indian cricket fans a slight idea that the selectors have made up their minds when it comes to the players who will be traveling to England for the ICC mega event starting May 30.

Chief BCCI selector MSK Prasad revealed that the panel has shortlisted 18 players for the Indian squad for the World Cup and this ODI series and the IPL will help them finalize the 15 men who will be going to England and participate in the event.

This means there is the possibility of atleast three players who can still dream of a spot in India’s 2019 World Cup squad and Team COC presents to you three players who may have an outside chance of making it to the final squad.

Here are the 3 players who might still be in contention for India’s 2019 World Cup

UMESH YADAV

Umesh Yadav last played limited overs cricket for Team India in 2018 against the West Indies when he featured in two ODIs and a T20I. He recently played for Vidarbha in the Ranji Trophy and picked 12 wickets against Kerala in the semi-finals to help his team reach the finals and then defend their title successfully against Saurashtra in the finals.

Indian selectors have seemingly shortlisted Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammad Shami for the spot of three fast bowlers in the World Cup squad. With Hardik Pandya as the fast bowling all-rounder, this leaves probably only one spot for a quick bowler. Umesh Yadav previously played the 2015 World Cup for India and performed exceedingly well.

Though Umesh has not been picked for the Australia series, by dropping both Khaleel Ahmed and Mohammed Siraj from the team, selectors have shown that they are still looking out for a fast bowler and their current option is Siddharth Kaul.

But a good performance from Umesh in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 might help him get in the squad for the elite event in England and Wales.

RAVINDRA JADEJA
Ravindra Jadeja might feel a bit unlucky as he was piped by Vijay Shankar for the spot of the second all-rounder in the Indian team for the Australia ODI series.

Jadeja, who spent quite a lot of time out of the Indian team after the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, made a roaring comeback in the team during the 2018 Asia Cup and helped the India team lift the trophy. Since then, he has performed well, picking a 4-fer against Windies and bowling economically against Australia in India’s maiden bilateral series win down under.

However, the return of a fit Hardik Pandya meant that Jadeja was benched for the New Zealand series and the team management is confident enough to see Kedar Jadhav as the third spinner in the playing XI along with Kuldeep and Chahal.

But with Jadeja showing his batting prowess in recent times, including a maiden Test hundred against Windies and an important innings in the Sydney Test in Australia, that he is a serious contender for the backup all-rounder in the squad, given his replacement Vijay Shankar didn’t bowl much in the limited overs matches he played in New Zealand.

DINESH KARTHIK
Dinesh Karthik will definitely feel hard done with Rishabh Pant being preferred over him in the Indian squad for the Australia ODI series. Karthik, who has been used as a finisher in the T20Is and ODI team, continues to be a part of the T20I team against Australia.

Karthik has flourished in his new role and was in contention for the backup wicket-keeper spot in the Indian squad for the 2019 World Cup, along with Rishabh Pant. Since 2017 Champions Trophy, He has played 20 matches for India scoring 425 runs at an average of 47.22 which includes eight unbeaten knocks.

Karthik had played an important knock in the second ODI against Australia down under, making 25* in 14 balls to aid MS Dhoni in finishing the match and drawing level in the three-match series. Such important knocks made Karthik a must-have in the Indian team, but it seems like the return of Kedar Jadhav and Hardik Pandya in the team, gives them two big-hitting finishers in ODIs, who can contribute with ball as well, opening up a spot for a batsman, for which Rishabh Pant has been chosen, given that he is comfortable batting higher up the order

But Karthik may still get in the Indian squad for 2019 World Cup, since MSK Prasad, the chief selector hasn’t ruled him out. But his inclusion in the mega event in England and Wales depends on performances of KL Rahul and Pant in the upcoming series.