World Cup 2019: 3 players who might have played their final ODI for India

India entered the 12th edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup as one of the favorites to lift the trophy. India lived up to the massive expectations by topping the league stage with seven wins in nine games. Apart from a washed out game against New Zealand, India lost just a single game in the league stage against England.

The Men in Blue entered their semi-final contest against New Zealand as heavy favorites. However, they stumbled in the run-chase by a small margin of 18 runs. Even though India restricted New Zealand to a below-par 239, New Zealand fought back strong in the second innings with their exceptional bowling attack and fielding.

Since India’s World Cup campaign has officially ended now, here is a look at three players who might have played their last ODI for India.

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#3 Kedar Jadhav

Kedar Jadhav

Ever since Dhoni lost his magical touch and wanted to bat higher up the order, India turned towards Kedar Jadhav for the role of finisher. Jadhav used to come lower down the order and partnered with Dhoni or Hardik Pandya in finishing the innings.

Besides, Jadhav has provided breakthroughs for India with the ball in crunch situations. In case of an off day for the leading bowlers, Virat Kohli has often tossed the ball towards Jadhav to complement the other bowlers. Though Jadhav has been a handy player for India in many occasions, he is always prone to injuries. His fitness forever remains the primary concern to the Indian cricket team.

In the build up to the World Cup, Jadhav had a poor IPL 2019 campaign. However, he was trusted to bounce back in the World Cup. Nevertheless, he failed miserably and lost his place in the playing XI.

In this World Cup, Jadhav managed to score only 80 runs in five innings with 52 of them coming in a single innings against Afghanistan. Besides, he rarely had a bowl in the tournament owing to the exceptional performances from the main bowlers.

With age (34) not on his side, it is fair to say that Jadhav might not play an ODI for India again.

#2 Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik

When the Indian selectors announced Dinesh Karthik’s name in the World Cup squad, most fans were unanimously happy with his inclusion. Though Karthik edged out Rishabh Pant in the team, everyone felt that Karthik deserved his place because of his International experience. Also, for a long time, Karthik never really got his due credits in the International arena. Hence, the World Cup 2019 was seen as the last chance saloon for Karthik to redeem his legacy.

At the start of the World Cup, Karthik did not find a place in the playing XI straightaway. When Jadhav lost his form, Karthik replaced him in the starting XI. As soon as he was back in the starting lineup, plenty was expected from Karthik. However, he failed to live up to the expectations.

A perfect stage was set for him in the semi-final against New Zealand to cement a place in the legacy of Indian cricket. However, a stunning catch from James Neesham brought down the curtains to his innings. Unfortunately, it is almost certain that his ODI career has also ended with that catch.

#1 MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni

It is no secret that World Cup 2019 is the last 50-over World Cup for MS Dhoni. Even before the start of the tournament, plenty believed that World Cup 2019 is the swansong for Dhoni at the international arena.

Even though Dhoni’s batting prowess has become wane in the last few years, he was expected to perform well at the big stage. In eight innings, he scored 273 runs with two 50+ scores. Though these numbers are decent for a middle-order batsman, they are well below the standards of Dhoni’s caliber.

When things turned out for the worse in the semi-final against New Zealand, he stitched an excellent 116-run partnership with Ravindra Jadeja. He complemented Jadeja’s aggressive approach with his cautious approach. When Jadeja was dismissed, Dhoni was expected to carry the team to the finishing line. However, a superb direct-hit from Martin Guptill ended Dhoni’s knock and with that, India’s World Cup dream.

Just as Dhoni made his way towards the pavilion after his dismissal, the questions of his retirement began to gain ground all over the world. Though there is no official announcement yet on his retirement, one expects the veteran to call time on his career soon.