ICC World Cup 2019: Why Ajinkya Rahane deserves a place in the Indian World Cup team

The ICC World Cup is just around the corner and most teams have zeroed in on their possible squads. India will not play any more international cricket till the World Cup and hence will have no more chances to try out players. However, they still have a couple of gaping holes in the squad; the biggest one being the No.4 conundrum.

Moreover, India is yet to decide on who the back-up wicket-keeper will be, while KL Rahul has never really proved himself in the 50-over format as an opener. This means that India is not sure about their back-up opener yet.

India's squad is far from finalized and this chaos brings one man into the picture out of nowhere: Ajinkya Rahane. The test team vice-captain last played an ODI for India in February 2018 against South Africa. Although it has been a year since he has played in the format, he is a strong contender to board the flight to England due to India's batting issues.

Many fans and pundits have called for Rahane's inclusion in the squad and there are quite a few reasons that favor his inclusion over KL Rahul and Ambati Rayudu. Here is a look at why Virat Kohli's team needs Rahane at the World Cup

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#4 Experience in England conditions

England v India - Royal London One-Day Series 2014

The World Cup will be held in England and conditions over there are completely different from those in India. The ball will swing and seam throughout the innings and first-timers could face a lot of problems in adjusting to them.

Rahul played every game when India toured England in 2018, and his performances were far from impressive. He could succeed only in the 1st T20 and last test of the entire tour and had a cluster of failures in between. So, India wouldn't be overly confident of picking him and Rayudu has hardly played in England.

On the other hand, Rahane has played two ODI series in England; in 2011 and 2014. He has scored 350 runs in 9 innings at an average of 38.88 in England. He has a strike rate of 87.5, which is a more than decent record

#3 Expertise in overseas conditions

Australia v India - Game 3

Rahane's overseas performances need no special mention. He has been one of the best overseas batsmen for India across all formats over the last few years. He has played some of his best knocks outside India; including a test century at Lord's and a spectacular 60 ball 79 against South Africa in the 2015 World Cup.

Since 2015, Rahane has averaged 40 and has maintained a strike rate of 87.81 in the SENA countries in the 50-over format. The Rajasthan Royals' skipper is adept at playing pace and has hence is one of the best options for the team outside the subcontinent. He is comfortable playing against swing bowling; something that most of the Indian batsmen have problems against.

During the month of June, England is likely to have overcast conditions, which would help the swing bowlers. Rahane should make the squad due to his ability to counter these conditions.

#2 Reliability

South Africa v India - 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup

Ajinkya Rahane offers the Indian team with something that not many players can offer current do-reliability. The Test vice-captain is a calm and cool player who doesn't wilt under pressure. He is a reliable batsman in any situation of the game and is always willing to give his best.

He can play the role of an anchor or even bludgeon bowling attacks. For those who have doubts over his strike rate, need not look further beyond his knock against South Africa in the last World Cup. He has the ability to score at a good rate and a few of his other aggressive knocks include a 58 ball 87 against South Africa at home in 2015 and 89 in 80 balls against Australia in 2016.

He is arguably the best batsman in the team after Virat Kohli when it comes to dragging the team out of woeful situations. Even if India loses a few early wickets, India can still hope to get out of the situation because of Rahane's presence at the crease. On most days, the 30-year-old will contribute with a decent score and not fail the team. With a fragile middle order, India needs a player with Rahane's composure.

#1 Ability to perform dual role

England v India - Royal London One-Day Series 2014

The biggest advantage of taking Rahane to England would be his ability to function as both a Number four batsman and a back-up opener. He offers both the skill-sets to perform efficiently in both the positions. KL Rahul has never proven himself as a middle-order batsman while Rayudu has opened just once in international cricket.

Since the 2015 World Cup, Rahane has played 10 innings at number four and scored 420 runs at a strike rate of 92.71. He also has a superb average of 46.66 and has been the best of the lot at the position. His competitor, Ambati Rayudu has played 15 innings since his comeback at number four and scored 464 runs at a strike rate of 85.6. He has maintained at an average of 42.18.

While Rahane played all his games against strong teams like South Africa, Australia, and Bangladesh, Rayudu scored 217 runs in four games against West Indies. If those four games are filtered out, he returns home with just 247 runs from 10 innings at an average of 30.87. Even his strike rate of 75.30 doesn't make for good reading.

As an opener, Rahane has smashed eight 50+ scores in his last 11 innings. KL Rahul has only had three 50+ scores in 13 innings in his career. All those 50+ scores have come against relatively weaker teams such as Zimbabwe and Afghanistan.

Statistically speaking, it is quite evident that Rahane is a much better option than both Rayudu and Rahul. Moreover, his inclusion would allow India to select Hardik Pandya, Vijay Shankar, and Ravindra Jadeja in the squad without dropping anyone; a move that would bolster the squad significantly.