West Indies vs India 2019: Five changes expected in India’s ODI squad

The Indian team headed into the 2019 World Cup with great ambitions of lifting their third world title. However, their hopes were dashed by the inspired Kiwis who beat them by 18 runs in the first semi-final at Manchester. It was a huge upset as everyone was expecting the strong Indian side to storm into the finals.

After a disappointing end to the World Cup campaign, India heads off to the Caribbean for a full-fledged tour. The tour will consist of 3 T20s, 3 ODIs, and 2 Test matches. The captain, Virat Kohli, and fast-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah are expected to be rested for the limited-overs leg before returning for the Tests starting August 22.

The Test matches will be a part of the inaugural World Test Championship. Fans are also expecting some big changes in the squad as India rebuild their ODI team for the 2023 edition of the World Cup which is scheduled to be held in India. The Indian squad for the West Indies series is expected to be announced on 19th July 2019.

Let us look at the 5 anticipated changes in the ODI side.

---

#1 Shreyas Iyer in place of Dinesh Karthik

Iyer is electric on the field. (Picture courtesy: iplt20.com/BCCI)

Dinesh Karthik was given a chance in the later stages of the World Cup 2019 in the matches against Bangladesh and New Zealand. He could only muster 14 runs from these two games. His dismissal against the Kiwis dealt a huge blow to India as India were reduced to 24/4 in the semi-final.

Although Karthik's game has improved immensely in the last few years, he is yet to play a decisive knock in ODIs. His game is more suited to T20s where can play the role of a finisher. Karthik is 34 years old now and is unlikely to be a part of the Indian team in the 2023 World Cup. We might just have seen the last of him in ODIs.

Shreyas Iyer has been knocking on the Indian team’s door for some time now. Iyer can be one of the candidates for the No. 4 role. He is exceptional against spin and can also rotate the strike at will. Add to that, he is a live wire on the field and can easily save a significant amount of runs.

Also see - WI vs IND 2019 Squad

#2 Shubman Gill in place of Virat Kohli (rested)

Gill has the game and temperament to last the distance. (Picture courtesy: iplt20.com/BCCI)

Virat Kohli has been playing non-stop cricket for the past few months. After a grueling IPL schedule, he gave his 100% in the field during the 9 matches that India played in the World Cup. Kohli's back has been a cause of concern for some time now. It will be in India's best interest to rest the batting maestro for the limited overs leg of the West Indies tour.

Shubman Gill is touted to be India’s future batting star. He has the game and composure to last the distance in international cricket. Gill was impressive in the Ranji Trophy last season and followed that up with a decent IPL.

Gill seems to be Kohli’s natural replacement at number 3. He is also the in-form batsman, having scored fifties for India A in 50-over cricket recently. Indian cricket fans have been vouching for his inclusion in the Indian team and it appears that their wishes will be answered during the West Indies tour.

#3 Krunal Pandya in place of Kedar Jadhav

Krunal Pandya has already represented India in T20Is.

Kedar Jadhav was a regular in the Indian team during the last 3 years. His slow round arm off-spin got India some crucial wickets. Jadhav was India’s 6th bowling option in case any of the other bowlers had an off-day. But Hardik Pandya’s consistent performances with the ball diminished the utility of Jadhav and he was subsequently replaced by Dinesh Karthik in the playing XI.

Jadhav is a deft stroke-maker and he cannot find the fence with such ease as the other big hitters. This was evident in the India-England game in which he struggled to get going in the death overs.

Krunal Pandya can be the ideal replacement for his role in the Indian cricket team. He has been brilliant for the Mumbai Indians in the T20s and has also secured a place in Indian T20 team on the back of his impressive performances in the IPL. Krunal can strike those lusty hits at the fag end of the innings and can give some handy overs with the ball as well. He is the ideal 3-dimensional player that the Indian team needs.

#4 Navdeep Saini for Jasprit Bumrah (rested)

Saini was the go-to option for Kohli in IPL. (Picture courtesy: iplt20.com/BCCI)

Jasprit Bumrah was arguably the best bowler on show in the recently concluded 50-over World Cup. The No. 1 ranked bowler in the world carried the Indian team’s hopes on his shoulders and was India’s best player during the tournament. Bumrah had also helped Mumbai clinch the IPL 2019 with another brilliant season with the ball. The Indian team management will Bumrah for the upcoming West Indies tour as he has been playing non-stop cricket for last few months.

Navdeep Saini is one of the few bowlers who can consistently bowl in the high 140s. After some excellent performances in the IPL 2019 for RCB, he was named as one of the reserves for the Indian team for the World Cup. He is currently making headlines for India A in the West Indies with some match-winning performances. He can be groomed as a long-term replacement for Bumrah.

#5 Shreyas Gopal in place of Kuldeep Yadav

Gopal had a dream IPL 2019 (Picture courtesy: iplt20.com/BCCI)

The stocks of Kuldeep Yadav have fallen drastically during the past 4 months. He was left out of the playing XI by Kolkata Knight Riders owing to some poor performances with the ball. In the World Cup as well, he could only pick 6 wickets from 7 matches.

He was subsequently left out of the playing XI as India opted for the leg spin of Yuzvendra Chahal with finger-spinner Ravindra Jadeja. Kuldeep tends to be a bit of a liability if he is not picking up wickets as he is sub-par on the field and not proficient with the bat either. His inclusion in the team prolongs the tail.

Shreyas Gopal can be Kuldeep’s perfect replacement. Gopal had an outstanding IPL 2019 where he picked up some big wickets for the Rajasthan Royals. He is very handy with the bat and can strike some big blows in the death overs. His fielding is also top notch. India may opt to play both Jadeja and Gopal in the future as both of them are of great all-around utility in the field.