ICC World Cup 2019: 2 selections in the Indian squad that may turn out to be blunders

The wait is finally over!

After months and months of speculation, the MSK Prasad-led selection committee yesterday announced the 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2019. There are some very obvious players listed in the squad but there are also a few interesting names that have become a talking point among the Indian cricket fraternity.

Here is what the squad looks like:

Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, KL Rahul, Dinesh Karthik

Though the selectors believe they have picked the most balanced side for the event this summer, there seem to be a few shortcomings that may have a massive bearing on India’s success at the global cricketing tournament.

Now, let’s quickly look at two selections that may turn out to be blunders by the time the tournament is over:

#1 Opting for Vijay Shankar over Ambati Rayudu

Ambati Rayudu

Not so long ago, the 33-year-old Ambati Rayudu was infused into the side on the back of a series of exceptional performance at the domestic level. And shortly after that, with his elegant batting style suiting the requirement, he was regarded to be the solution to India’s biggest concern, the No. 4 slot.

Though he never set the world on fire, he played some match-winning knocks every once in a while to cement his place in the side. But just when he looked settled in the squad, his unfortunate dip in form (last 10 innings, average 30.87, strike rate, 75.3) once again opened up the discussion over the No. 4 position.

Vijay Shankar, on the other hand, grasped every opportunity that came his way. He impressed everyone not only with his batting skills but also with his bowling and fielding. And that worked massively in his favor.

Who would have thought that Hardik Pandya’s exclusion over an infamous controversial comment in a talk show would lead to Rayudu’s exit from the WC 2019 squad?

Sure, Shankar offers another seam bowling option and he is excellent fielder. But considering the fact that the No. 4 slot is a specialist position requiring not just skills but also experience to maneuver the ball around in the middle overs, not to mention the involving the need to bail the team out of tough situations, the veteran Rayudu might have been a better option.

#2 Selecting KL Rahul

KL Rahul

Though there has never been any doubt about the cricketing skills of KL Rahul, his international form over the past one year has been a big worry. Despite been given ample opportunities, the 26-year-old just could not regain his rhythm in any format and proved to be the biggest disappointment for Team India.

And yet, the Indian selectors have gone ahead and picked Rahul as a reserve opener.

More than anything else, the selection appears to be forced due to lack of options available for the top order and also influenced (the selectors may not agree openly) by his recent exceptional performance in IPL 2019 (8 games, 335 runs, average 67, strike rate 130.85).

Rahul has played a total of just 14 ODIs and has managed to score only 343 runs at a very mediocre average of 34.3 and a strike rate of 80.89. Not only does the Karnataka player lack the much-needed experience for the high-intensity tournament but also, his recent performances have been quite dreadful.

To make the situation worse, his last English outing (2018) was a massive disaster wherein he could score a mere total of 299 runs in as many as 8 Test innings - a total that was boosted considerably thanks to a century (149) in his very last innings.

It would have made a lot more sense to select someone like Ajinkya Rahane (90 ODIs), who has far more experience and is well-suited to English conditions.