Backup XI for 2019 World Cup: Replacement for each position if first choices get injured

2019 World Cup is approaching and the Indian ODI team looks very much settled except few questions to be answered. India is considered as one of the top contenders for the title. 2011 world cup winning team looks settled barring few spots to fill. Players like Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Bumrah look certain in the playing XI.

So, first let us look at probable playing XI for the world cup if all the players are available:

Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (c), Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(wk), Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Bhuneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yazuvendra Chahal and Bumrah.

Injury is an inevitable part of any sports person’s career. Apart from continuous International cricket, Indian players will also be engaged in league cricket- IPL, which makes them more vulnerable to injury. So, in case of sudden injury to any first-choice players, team management should be ready with their appropriate backup.

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First Choice Openers: Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma

Replacements: KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane

No prize for guessing this one! KL Rahul is with the Indian team for a while now and team management has cleared that he will be considered as an opener only. So, in case of injury/unavailability to either of the first choice openers, India has an able replacement. Karnataka opener is technically sound and can also take advantage of field restriction by playing aerial shots. Along with Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina, he is only the 3rd batsman for India to have centuries in all 3 formats. Though he is not in the best of his form, team management is backing him as a first choice reserve opener.

In case of unavailability of both the first choice openers, second backup opener could be Ajinkya Rahane. Rajasthan Royals skipper is a senior member and has the experience of playing in English conditions. He was given a long run as an opener in the past and can be a perfect replacement in seaming and swinging condition.

First Choice No. 3: Virat Kohli (c)

Replacement: Shubman Gill

Virat Kohli

Injury to Virat Kohli ! This must be the worst case any Indian fan can think of. Though India won Asia Cup/Nidhas Trophy without Kohli, World Cup is a different game altogether. Tougher conditions and platform like world cup demand players like Kohli. Team India relies enormously on Kohli. Still in case of injury to Kohli, Shubman Gill can be tried at number 3. Though 19-year-old Punjab player is nowhere near Virat yet, the youngster has shown a lot of promise in domestic cricket. Along with Prithvi Shaw, Shubman is considered as the next big thing for Indian cricket. He can be X factor if given a chance. The only concern with Shubman is that he has not been tested yet in tougher conditions and on bigger occasions.

First Choice No. 4: Ambati Rayudu

Replacement: Dinesh Karthik

Ambati Rayudu has shown enough promise to fill the number 4 position with his consistent performances in whatever chances he has got. With batting average of almost 50 after 52 matches shows consistency of leading run scorer of CSK in 2018 edition of IPL. Dinesh Karthik can be his replacement at number 4 in case of injury to Rayudu. Karthik is travelling with the Indian team regularly for a couple of years now. Since his cameo in Nidhas trophy final, Kolkata Knight Riders skipper looks in good touch and contributing well with the bat. However, after playing around 90 matches, he averages near 30 and still does not have any century to his name. Karthik often gets good starts, but fails to convert it into big score. At the moment, Karthik can be an ideal replacement for Rayudu.

First choice wicket keeper: MS Dhoni

Replacement: Rishabh Pant

Dhoni or Pant ??

Recent emergence of Rishabh Pant has provided the team management an option of a backup wicket keeper. It’s just a matter of time when Rishabh Pant will be handed over wicket-keeping duties permanently. In case of injury to Dhoni, Rishabh can get a nod ahead of Dinesh Karthik. Since the start of 2019, Dhoni has shown signs of returning to the form. So it would be a big loss if India misses services of the most experienced Indian cricketer at the moment. Apart from his batting, team India would miss his on-field coaching, his guidance to the wrist spinners, his flashy stumpings, his calmness in any condition and of course his role in DRS (Dhoni Review System). On the other hand, Pant brings different dimensions to the team by his aggressive batting and never say die attitude. He can also be used as a floater in the batting.

First choice No. 6: Kedar Jadhav

Replacement: Krunal Pandya

Kedar Jadhav has been an important member of Indian ODIs with his ability to accelerate in slog overs and also provides sixth bowling option. Part time spin bowling of this slingy bowler has proved handy for captains in breaking partnerships many times now. Inclusion of Krunal Pandya might have come as a surprise for many, but he has been given priority over other players solely because of his bowling ability. Along with his accurate bowling, his aggressive batting can be useful in slog overs. We have seen this Mumbai Indian player batting higher up the order for his franchise but Indian team has not utilized his batting skills yet. Recently, Jadhav had few injury concerns. So, he is vulnerable to injury and India should be ready for his replacement.

First choice All rounder: Hardik Pandya

Replacement: Vijay Shankar

Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya is a vital player for maintaining balance of the team. Hardik is one of the few players for team India who is playing all the 3 formats for the country and recently he has missed a lot of cricket due to various reasons including his back problems. The stylish allrounder is out for ongoing Australia series as well which means he will play International cricket directly in World Cup. Team management should have a close watch on him during IPL also to keep him fit for the world cup. Still if Baroda all rounder gets injured, team combination needs to be maintained by replacing Hardik Pandya with Vijay Shankar. Shankar is a batting all-rounder & it is too much to expect 10 overs in every match from him. So in case if team management goes for SRH allrounder, team should have a capable sixth bowling option.

First choice spinners: Kuldeep and Chahal

Replacements: Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin

India is blessed to have two quality wrist spinners who can take wickets in the middle overs. It has been observed that in spite of good start by the opposition, these spin duo have brought India back in the game by taking wickets at regular intervals. 2 time world cup winning team India has many options in spin bowling like Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Mayank Markande to name a few.

In case of injury to any of the first choice spinners, India should go with Ravindra Jadeja. A left arm orthodox bowler who can also contribute with the bat is a good reserve player to have. His fielding is a big bonus for the team. Thus, Jadeja can be a complete package for any captain and must be included in the squad because he can be a backup spinner and can be used as a backup all rounder as well.

In case if India misses services of both of their prime wrist spinners, the other spinner can be Ravi Ashwin. Of course he is out of limited overs team since 2016 champions trophy, he is still a big match player. Skipper of Kings XI Punjab has that experience of playing at bigger occasions like World Cup. To include a youngster straightaway in the world cup is not a good idea. So, Ashwin has a brisk chance to be included in the world cup if both the prime spinners are not available. As the other option, team India can think of including any of the fast bowlers instead of playing with two spinners.

First choice fast bowlers: Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah

Replacements: Mohammad Shami and Khaleel Ahmed

Bumrah

Resurgence of the Indian ODI team is mainly because of efforts of fast bowlers. India relies heavily on Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar, especially in death overs. It will be difficult to fill the gap of either of these two. In cricket, fast bowlers are the most common to get injured so their back up should always be kept ready.

If someone is to be picked as a replacement, it has to be Mohammad Shami. It is very difficult to keep him out of starting XI, especially after his recent performances in Australia and New Zealand. Shami can move the ball both the ways which can be useful in English conditions. If this Bengal seamer gets his rhythm early, he has the tendency to take wickets in bunches. His ODI record is also showing the same. Shami also has the ability to pick wickets in the middle overs. In the scenario of unavailability of both Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah, team India does not have option but to include Khaleel Ahmed in the playing XI. Khaleel has been given chances in last year, but he has failed to impress in most of the occasion. His left handed action can give him edge over other bowlers. Other fast bowlers in the contention are Umesh Yadav, Siddharth Kaul, Mohammed Siraj. If India opt to go with Khaleel, oppositions will surely target him as a weak link in Indian bowling unit. If any other bowler performs exceptionally well in IPL 2019, he can directly book his ticket to England for World Cup.

So, here is the Backup XI:

KL Rahul, Ajinkya Rahane, Shubman Gill, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant(wk), Krunal Pandya, Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Khaleel Ahmed

These are the players who can replace first choice players in case of injury. Backup XI also looks strong and it seems that Indian team management has done descent job in preparing strong bench strength. Let us hope that all the Indian players remain fit and be available for selection for the world cup.