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The Indian Cricket team will begin its 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup campaign on June 5th against South Africa at Southampton. The two-time winners are one of the favorites for the world title this year having dominated several teams at home and away.
Virat Kohli's men are one of the most balanced limited overs sides currently and are sure to continue their impressive run at the grandest stage of all this summer.
One of the main aspects behind their success has been the emergence of quality bowlers who have dominated across different conditions. With the 2019 World Cup in mind, let us look at India's best bowlers in the ODI format currently.
#7 Ravindra Jadeja
Jadeja won the Golden Ball for being the highest wicket-taker during India's victorious 2013 ICC Champions Trophy campaign in England. A perfect limited-overs player, Jadeja is a useful lower-order batsman and a brilliant athlete.
Though he came in as a replacement to the injured Axar Patel during the 2018 Asia Cup, he proved himself by picking up seven wickets in four matches. It was a dream comeback into the Indian ODI squad for Jadeja, who cemented his place in the Indian squad after his Asia Cup heroics.
In the ODI series against West Indies, Jadeja took seven wickets in four matches and followed it up with two wickets against Australia. Though he is a part of the squad against New Zealand, he is yet to play a game.
Verdict: Jadeja is someone who can restrict the opposition by bowling tight lengths and provide breakthroughs at crucial junctures apart from his excellent fielding and valuable contributions with the bat.
#6 Hardik Pandya
The all-rounder returned to the Indian ODI XI for the third ODI against New Zealand at the Bay Oval after serving the ban (due to the Koffee with Karan show controversy) and took two wickets apart from taking a stunner to dismiss Kiwi skipper, Kane Williamson. Pandya finished 2017 as India's second highest wicket-taker with 31 scalps in 28 matches.
Though he a poor outing in the ODIs against England last year, he emerged as the highest wicket-taker in the three-match T20Is with six wickets to his name and took 10 wickets in four Test matches. The talented 25-year-old is India's prime fifth bowler option and is sure to replicate his T20I and Test success in the English conditions during the 2019 World Cup.
Final verdict: Pandya provides the perfect balance to the Indian side and his spells will be crucial to the Men in Blue's bowling strategies.
#5 Mohammed Shami
Shami was one of the vital cogs in the ruthless Indian bowling line-up that tormented batsmen from almost all nations during the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup. Shami went on to finish the tournament as India's second highest wicket-taker (fifth overall) with 17 wickets in 7 matches.
The Bengal pacer who recently became the fastest Indian bowler to take 100 ODI wickets has emerged as skipper Kohli's go-to man in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. While many doubted his abilities with the white ball, he proved them wrong by performing well against Australia (five wickets) and New Zealand recently (seven wickets in three matches so far).
Final Verdict: Shami has performed exceedingly well in the overseas conditions after coming in for Jasprit Bumrah. His World Cup experience and bowling credentials make him a strong contender for securing a spot in the 2019 World Cup squad.
#4 Bhuvneshwar Kumar
One of the best new ball bowlers in the world currently, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was India's highest wicket-taker during the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy in England with seven wickets in four matches at an economy of 4.63.
The Uttar Pradesh pacer, who took 28 wickets in 2017 emerged as the leading wicket-taker during the recently concluded ODI series against Australia with 8 scalps in three matches. In the five-match ODI series against the Black Caps, he has taken four wickets in three games so far.
Final verdict: The English conditions have always favored Bhuvneshwar who is expected to continue his dominance with the new ball given his swing prowess during the 2019 World Cup.
#3 Yuzvendra Chahal
Chahal, who has been a permanent fixture in the Indian limited-overs squad for quite some time is one of the best wrist spinners in the world currently. The 28-year-old was India's second highest wicket-taker in the ODIs last year with 29 scalps in 17 matches.
A consistent performer with the ball, recently he became the first ever spinner to record a six-wicket haul in the ODIs in Australia when he finished with the figures of 6/42 in the only game he played in the three-match series against Aaron Finch's men at the MCG.
Final verdict: Though he been successful in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, his struggle in England was evident as he managed just two wickets in the three ODIs against the hosts last year. He has the qualities to turn things around at the World Cup for which he needs to step up in the English conditions.
#2 Kuldeep Yadav
The slow left-arm chinaman bowler from Kanpur has performed admirably for Virat Kohli's men across different conditions. Kuldeep became the second fastest Indian bowler to claim 50 ODI wickets (in 24 matches) when he dismissed Hong Kong's wicket-keeper batsman Scott McKechnie during the 2018 Asia Cup in UAE.
The 24-year-old finished 2018 as the second highest wicket-taker in the ODIs with 45 wickets in 19 matches at an economy of 4.64 with his best figures being 6/25. Though he managed just two wickets (in two matches) against Australia recently, he has been magnificent against New Zealand so far picking up eight wickets in three matches.
Final Verdict: Kuldeep is one of India's primary prospects for the quadrennial event this summer and he will be determined to replicate his success in the English conditions.
#1 Jasprit Bumrah
Arguably India's best bowler across formats, the Gujarat pacer has been a mainstay in the Indian XI since making his ODI debut for Virat Kohli's men back in January 2016 against Australia at Sydney.
Bumrah, who did not have a memorable outing at the 2017 ICC champions Trophy (four wickets in five matches) was ruled out of the ODI series against England last year due to a fractured thumb. Nevertheless, his rise has been meteoric over the years and going into the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup he is India's bowling spearhead.
Currently ranked number one in the ICC ODI rankings for bowlers, Bumrah (841 points) finished 2018 as the highest wicket-taker overall (all three formats combined) with 78 scalps. Realizing the importance of his fitness ahead of the World Cup, the BCCI decided to rest Bumrah for the ODIs against Australia and for the New Zealand tour (ODIs and T20Is).
Final verdict: Bumrah's exploits with the ball during the World Cup might certainly have a huge impact upon the Indian bowling line-up and the world number one must be at his very best to overcome his ghosts of 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.
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