3 Players India should recall and 3 players they shouldn't before the World Cup

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With the World Cup 2019 fast approaching, India have an all but settled squad at the moment. The only cause of worry is the inconsistent middle order, and that issue should be sorted out soon as India are scheduled to play a lot of limited overs cricket down the line.

The bench strength of the Indian team is so strong that the Asia cup win was achieved even in the absence of Virat Kohli. The recent squad selection for the West Indies series indicates that the team is going to try Rishabh Pant at the no.4 slot after his recent exploits in the Test format where did well in England and against the West Indies in home conditions.

India are scheduled to as many as 21 ODI matches before the start of the World Cup and that is an ample time to test out some players. There are some players who deserve a place in the side, and there are individuals who don't.

In this slideshow, we will look at 3 Players India should recall and 3 players they shouldn't.


#1 Umesh Yadav- Should be recalled

Umesh has been impressive.
Umesh has been impressive.

Umesh Yadav is one of the players who should be given a chance in India's limited overs team before the world cup. He was included in the T20 and ODI teams that toured England but was left out of the Asia Cup squad.

In England, he did well in the T20 leg of the tour and played 2 out of the 3 matches in the ODIs. So his limited overs presence has been less in the last few months.

There is a huge crop of fast bowlers who are emerging from India, and in case of an injury to any of the frontline bowlers of the team, Umesh can come in as an able replacement.

So it is better to give him some games ahead of the world cup, even though he may not be in the scheme of things for the big tournament.

#1 Suresh Raina- Shouldn't be recalled

Suresh Raina has had enough chances.
Suresh Raina has had enough chances.

Suresh Raina is not currently in India's World Cup plans as evident from the fact that he was dropped from the Asia Cup squad after being included in the team for the England ODI series because of Ambati Rayudu's failure to pass the yo-yo test. In the opportunities he got, Raina failed to make a mark, and with youngsters emerging, the future looks bleak at the moment.

Raina is a capable and an experienced player but he has let down the team in the past before getting dropped from the side after getting some constant backing. Sure, with age on his side he can make a comeback with several good performances in domestic cricket but not before the world cup.

Raina's big tournament could come in handy, but it also deprives other worthy players to get a look in before in the world cup.

#2 Shreyas Iyer- Should be recalled

Delhi Daredevils skipper deserves a look in.
Delhi Daredevils skipper deserves a look in.

Shreyas Iyer is one of the most talented young batsmen going around in Indian cricket. But with the Indian top order looking settled, he has to wait for an opportunity. Iyer has done well in the limited chances he has got, but he unlucky to play more than 6 ODIs that he has played so far.

Shreyas did well in the series against the South Africans, where he scored a couple of half-centuries but did not get selected for the subsequent assignments. He could be tried at the troublesome no.4 slot in the lead up to the world cup. Iyer has had a good IPL too in which he captained the Delhi Daredevils, and is looking decent in the domestic circuit.

With still few more matches to go before the start of the world cup, Iyer can get a look in either in Australia or in New Zealand.

#2 Yuvraj Singh- Shouldn't be recalled

Yuvi has been a great player for India in the past.
Yuvi has been a great player for India in the past.

Yuvraj Singh may have played his last match for India in 2017, but he is the king of comebacks. He always things happen when the chips are down for him. He has made numerous returns to the team in the past when he is been written off.

Yuvi has been in good form in the recent Vijay Hazare tournament for Punjab making some match-saving contributions for the same, but he shouldn't be recalled to the team on the back off that.

The selectors may be tempted to bring him back because of his past performances at the big stage such as the World Cup, but it will be better of otherwise since there are a lot of youngsters coming up the ranks.

It will be nice to see Yuvi donning the blues once more but should not be at the cost of a deserving youngster.

#3 Ajinkya Rahane- Should be recalled

Ajinkya Rahane has a good recent record in ODIs.
Ajinkya Rahane has a good recent record in ODIs.

Ajinkya Rahane, not long ago, was a regular for India in all the formats of the game but due to his recent performances in the red ball cricket, he has not found any favours for his selection in the white ball cricket. He is showing signs of getting back to the Rahane of old and with India in dire need of a permanent no.4 before the world cup, he could be added to the mix.

At the moment, even his selection in Test cricket is in doubt with poor performances in the last few seasons. But he could change everything with a good outing in Australia which can be a catalyst to his selection for the ODI team.

His experience of playing world cup could earn him a spot in the team if his returns are good in Australia tour.

#3 Dinesh Karthik- Shouldn't be recalled

One may believe that he may have got enough chances.
One may believe that he may have got enough chances.

Dinesh Karthik may be given another go given the talent he possesses. But time may be running out for Karthik as he is continuously blowing away the good starts he is getting. He is another player who likes to make one comeback after another but has failed to capitalize on them.

In his recent comeback too, he looked comfortable for the most part but misses out on a big knock when it matters the most. The selectors have indicated that Karthik is still in the scheme of things for the world cup but with Rishabh Pant in great form, he may be waiting anxiously to see how the youngster performs against the West Indies

The one thing in Karthik's favour is that he has the experience of doing well in England in the big stage in the past, so he cannot be counted out.

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Edited by Rajdeep Puri