ICC CWC 2019: 5 players who still can make it to India's World Cup squad

India v Pakistan - 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup
Indian Fans in ICC CWC

With the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 less than a year away, Indian selectors would be keeping a keen eye on the senior Indian team , India U-19 team, India A team and other domestic and IPL players who have been doing well. As skipper Virat Kohli seems to be eyeing the World Cup, not only as a major achievement in his career as captain, but also as a farewell to the former captain MS Dhoni.

MS Dhoni, who has his career's greatest achievement in the form of winning the 2011 World Cup, won it not only the country, but also for Sachin, paying him a tribute and as an act of gratitude and respect for all that he has done for Indian Cricket over the years. Similarly, 2019 World Cup could be a tribute to the outstanding contribution of MS Dhoni to Indian Cricket.

There are a few players who have the talent and ability but have not yet made it to the Indian national team, but can make a surprise entry anytime this year. Keeping our fingers crossed, let us have a look at such players:


#1 Rishabh Pant

IPL 2018
Rishabh Pant

Much has been said about this young batting powerhouse, but it never seems enough. When Rishabh Pant plays a big innings, one just cannot look away from his/her television set. He has always been a big hitter of the cricket ball, predominantly strong on the leg side and always looking out for big shots.

In the recently concluded IPL, he announced himself as a complete batsman, who could bat up the order and bat as per the situation. He played a lot of nicely paced innings, unlike his previous style of going against the bowlers from the onset. Also, he has added a wide array of shots to his repertoire. He can now be called a complete batsman, who is ready for a national call up. He is also probably the best possible replacement for MS Dhoni in the long run, as he can keep wickets and also hit the ball really hard. It is strange to not see him in either of the squads to face England, but he can surely make it to the World Cup squad.

#2 Ambati Rayudu

ZIMBABWE-INDIA-CRICKET
Ambati Rayudu

IPL 2018 was a revolutionary year for Rayudu, as he created a new identity for himself as an opener and did extremely well. He scored 602 runs in 16 matches with a strike rate of almost 150 and at an excellent average of 43 . This was by far, the best season of IPL for Ambati Rayudu, who played very fearlessly and thus, flawlessly. He was initially picked for the Indian squad for the England tour but was later dropped due to his inability to clear the yo-yo test.

With the number four spot in the Indian ODI team up for grab, he would surely want to put forward his case for selection. He would want to work hard to overcome the challenges and make it to the Indian team before 2019 World Cup.

#3 Krunal Pandya

ECB XI v India A - Tour Match
Krunal Pandya

Krunal Pandya has proven himself time and again as a quality floater batsmen and a genuine spin bowling all rounder. Right since his IPL debut in 2016, Pandya senior has exhibited the ability to bat in the middle order and play big innings, as well as bat down the order and finish off games. Not to forget that his left arm orthodox bowling can be lethal too and he has claimed the wickets of some of the best in the business, including the great AB de Villiers, who now seems to have become his bunny.

It will be exciting to see how he prepares ahead of the 2019 World Cup and if he does well enough, he could be seen as a genuine number 6 batsman for India, and that would also give India a genuine sixth bowling option.

#4 Washington Sundar

Sri Lanka v India - Twenty20 international cricket match in Colombo
Washington Sundar

Things have not been going very smooth for the Tamil Nadu all rounder, who was last seen playing for RCB in the recently concluded IPL. He had been showing some terrific performances over a period of time and that led to him being considered for playing for India. He was selected for the Nidahas Trophy India squad, and he did exceptionally well in that tournament, ending up as the highest wicket taker in the tournament and also winning the man of the series award. Things seemed to go in the right direction for him.

It was in IPL 2018, that Sundar was seen missing his lengths pretty often, mostly at instances of being hit by batsmen. Probably the lack of exposure got the better of him, as he failed to cope up with a few runs being scored against his bowling, thus missing his length and conceding extra runs a bit too many times. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if he can make a comeback, as he is someone who can chip in with the bat at number 6 or 7 too, given his ability to score runs quickly.

#5 Shreyas Iyer

ECB XI v India A - Tour Match
Shreyas Iyer

Owing to his consistency in IPL and the domestic circuit, Shreyas Iyer deserves a chance to play for India. He showed his class and consistency against Sri Lanka in 2017, when he scored 88 and 65 runs in two successive matches. Being part of the ODI playing XIs against South Africa early this year, he failed to make good use of the opportunity.

He was appointed as the captain of Delhi Daredevils midway through the season. The added responsibility of captaincy brought the better out of him as he managed to perform exceedingly well on personal front. He would hope to perform well in the A-team tours to be in recognition for a national call up.

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Edited by Kumud Ranjan