Five Indian players who should be considered for the ODI series against Sri Lanka

Last month, chief selector MSK Prasad promised to provide enough opportunities to the youngsters in the lead up to the 2019 ODI World Cup so that they get acquainted in time for the major ICC event.

With India set to take on Sri Lanka in a five-month ODI series that will take place following the ongoing Test series, we could expect a few changes in the squad. The selectors need to take a call on the players who should feature in the middle order and also the spinners.

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With Sri Lanka hardly posing any threat to Virat Kohli and co. this will be the perfect opportunity for the selectors to try out a few new players. Let us take a look at the players who should be considered for the series.

NOTE: This list does not feature the players who played in the Champions Trophy and the ODI series in West Indies.

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#5 Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant is in South Africa as a part of the India A squad

Rishabh Pant is one of the most exciting talents going around in the Indian domestic circuit at the moment. In spite of being just 19, he made his T20I debut for India earlier this year.

He had a brilliant IPL to back up his outstanding first-class season and has been on the selectors' radar for quite some time now. Though he didn't tour England with the team for the Champions Trophy, he was picked in the side that toured West Indies.

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Unfortunately, he wasn't considered for selection in the ODIs but played the one-off T20I. Currently, he is with the India A team playing in a tri-series along South Africa A and Afghanistan A in the rainbow nation.

The selectors should keep an eye on the future and take a bold call by picking Pant for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. With India's middle order a concern, grooming the left-hander for the 2019 World Cup won't be a bad call.

#4 Axar Patel

Axar is one of two Indians who feature in the top-20 of the ICC ODI bowler rankings

The reason why Axar Patel is not a part of the ODI team is beyond comprehension. The left-arm spinner has been India's best bowler whenever he has got a chance to play but has been often ignored when the likes of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have been available.

Both these bowlers have been out of sorts of late in this format and the selectors should take a call on their place in the team and try to include Axar.

In spite of playing his last match in October last year, Axar is one of two Indians (Bhuvneshwar Kumar being the other one) who feature in the top-20 of the ICC ODI bowler rankings.

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The Gujarat all-rounder is very economical when it comes to bowling and has the knack of striking regularly. Adding to that, he can score a handful of runs with the bat down the order and is a safe fielder too. It's high time that the Indian selectors rethink their spin bowling combination ahead of the extravaganza in 2019.

#3 Krunal Pandya

Krunal has shown that he is capable of playing in the big leagues

Hardik Pandya has established himself as one of the most important players in the current ODI team. He brings the much-needed balance to the team as he has started to contribute with both bat and ball.

In the near future, it won't be a surprise if he plays alongside his elder brother Krunal Pandya in Indian colours. Just like Hardik, Krunal is also an all-rounder and is a bit more reliable with both bat and ball than his younger brother.

Playing Krunal will give the Indian side the option of an extra batsman down the order. Krunal has proved his worth in the IPL where he was consistent for Mumbai Indians in the last couple of seasons. Adding to that, he was brilliant in the 2016/17 Vijay Hazare Trophy.

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Krunal has shown that he is capable of playing in the big leagues and with his consistency being one of his main strengths, the selectors could try him in the upcoming series.

#2 Yuzvendra Chahal

In modern-day cricket, wrist spinners are always an asset to a team

In the last match he played for India, Yuzvendra Chahal picked up six wickets, conceding just 23 runs in a T20I, which is the best bowling figures by an Indian bowler in T20Is.

He followed it up with a good outing in the IPL but was overlooked for the ICC Champions Trophy. It was an understandable decision, but the reason why he wasn't a part of the team that toured West Indies remains uncertain.

In modern-day cricket, wrist spinners are always an asset to a team and Chahal being a clever bowler can work wonders for the Indian team if he is used properly. Chahal, along with chinaman Kuldeep Yadav will form a deadly combination with the ball and can be India's spin twins in the format in the years to come.

If the selectors are willing to experiment with the team for the Sri Lanka series, Chahal's name should feature right at the top of the list.

#1 Manish Pandey

It will be a travesty if Manish misses out on a place in the playing XI in the series against Sri Lanka

It is safe to say that Manish Pandey has been one of the unluckiest cricketers in the last few years. He waited for his chance for a long time and when he got one, scored a match-winning century against Australia in Sydney in 2016.

Following that, he had just one below-par series against New Zealand last year and for the next series, was dropped in favour of Yuvraj Singh, who made a comeback into the Indian side.

Pandey proved a point by performing consistently in the domestic circuit and the IPL and was rewarded with a place in the Indian Champions Trophy squad. Unfortunately, he suffered a side strain and was forced to miss the tournament and the subsequent ODI series in West Indies.

Currently, he is leading India A in the triangular series in South Africa and in the five innings he played, scored 307 runs at an average of 307. With this, he has sent out a strong message to the selectors.

It will be a huge blunder on the part of the selectors if Manish Pandey misses out on a place in the "playing XI" in the series against Sri Lanka.