World Cup 2019: India's strongest playing XI

The biggest sporting extravaganza of cricket, the ICC World Cup, is all set to commence in a week's time in England and Wales. The teams have made it to England and the group stage of the tournament is underway, with India being the only team to not have played a match so far.

This edition of the tournament shall be played in a round-robin and knockout format, with all the 10 teams locking horns with each other in the league stage. This makes it imperative for the teams to have a stable and balanced squad, covering all the bases.

India start off as favourites to win the cup, along with hosts England. The Men in Blue have been in a great run of form in the past 18 months, having suffered only 2 bilateral series losses. The team has an optimum mix of all the elements, with the players being in rich vein of form, which certainly makes India a force to reckon.

Let us have a look at the strongest line up that India can field for the World Cup.

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Openers - Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan

Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan arguably form the best opening pair in the tournament. The two have been instrumental in India's phenomenal run in limited overs cricket since 2013.

While Shikhar likes to unleash himself on the bowlers right from the word go, Rohit takes a bit of time to settle in and then accelerates, with a penchant for daddy hundreds. The contradictory approach makes the two complement each other quite well. The right-left combination makes their pair even more dangerous.

Sharma and Dhawan have ample of experience of the English conditions, and notably the two emerged as the top run-getters in the Champions Trophy played here in 2017. The two boast of the ability to provide a strong start to India irrespective of the surface or circumstances.

Dhawan comes with an added reputation of playing a completely different brand of cricket in ICC tournaments, which gives a significant boost to India.

Middle Order- Virat Kohli (c), KL Rahul and MS Dhoni (wk)

Australia v India - Game 2

The middle order has been a big conundrum for India right from the last showdown event in Australia and New Zealand in 2015. India has been largely dependent upon Virat Kohli in this part, with no other player showing similar consistency.

Kohli is currently the best batsman in the world across formats. Kohli has all the facets and strokes in his arsenal, and his ability of dominating the game is unparalleled. Kohli forms the anchor of the Indian batting line up, with his splendid ability to pace the innings. He would be expected to continue his purple patch of form in England and the Indian World Cup hopes would greatly rest on his shoulders.

KL Rahul is one of the most technically sound batsmen in the team at present. The 26-year old has the ability and temperament to flourish in the English conditions, with a fair amount of experience at his disposal.

Rahul's inclusion as a proper batsman, apart from keepers and all-rounders who were previously given a go at this spot, can usher in a positive change for India in the middle overs. His century in the warm-up Game against Bangladesh is a testimony to his sheer brilliance and ability to adapt.

India v Australia - ODI Series: Game 2

MS Dhoni's presence shall be a huge boost for the Indian campaign, with his multidimensional roles in the form of a batsman, wicketkeeper, finisher and strategist. Dhoni's ability to read the situation and pace the game is second to none, having a perfect idea of when to press the pedal.

He will be particularly crucial in case of an early collapse, with his ability of battling adverse situations as he has done in the past. His finishing skills have not yet faded, and he continues to be India's best bet at the death. Further. MSD's lightning fast hands and sharp acumen behind the stumps shall give India an ace up their sleeve.

All Rounders - Kedar Jadhav and Hardik Pandya

Kedar Jadhav and Hardik Pandya shot to fame from their in India's ODI series against England in early 2017. Ever since they have risen above the ranks quickly and established themselves as key components of the Indian squad.

Kedar Jadhav has evolved as a capable finisher, taking the team across the line on numerous occasions without taking any significant risks. His finishing skills have further polished under the guidance of MS Dhoni, which has been duly recognised by the former.

Further, his deceptive spin bowling, with a low arm release action, makes it highly difficult for even the best of the batsmen to decipher. Jadhav has a golden arm and is introduced by the captain to break well set partnerships. He brings in a great amount of balance in the side, which makes him a trump card for India.

Hardik Pandya is one of the most fearful hitters in the world at the moment. In the past few months, he has become equally dangerous against seamers and spinners, and is capable of providing the extra 20-30 runs in the death overs. Pandya has also made significant improvements in his bowling, and has developed a very good bouncer.

In addition to this, he is a livewire on the field. Being a quality performer in all three departments, Hardik is the x-factor for India going into the World Cup.

Spinners - Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav

The spin twins of India of India have swung the fortunes of numerous games in the favour of India in the middle overs. Moreover, they have given splendid performances in the SENA countries, adding more credentials to their achievements. The Indian "KulCha" has been too hot to handle for the oppositions' batsmen, as they have run through the middle order of teams on a number of occasions.

Both, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav are wrist spinners, conventionally deemed to be wicket takers. Moreover, the right-left combination also comes as an obstacle for the batsmen. Both of them are fearless bowlers, who are not afraid of being hit for big strokes in the pursuit of a wicket, and more often than not, end up trapping the batsmen in their vicious web of spin.

With the pitches in England being highly batsmen friendly of late, and the World Cup pitted to be a high scoring tournament, Kuldeep and Chahal can certainly do a great deal in spinning the glory towards India.

Fast Bowlers- Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah

Mohammed Shami has had a phenomenal turnaround in the limited overs circuit in 2019, as he forced his way back into the side with phenomenal outings in Australia and New Zealand. Shami is very accurate with the new ball and also has the ability to reverse the ball when it gets old. He has also been quite economical in the recent past and has picked wickets at regular intervals.

Jasprit Bumrah is the lynchpin of the Indian bowling attack. Bumrah justifies the tag of being world's best bowler every time he takes field. The 25-year old has all the weapons in his arsenal, be it swing, pace, bouncers, and deceptive slower balls, not to forget his evergreen yorkers.

He has the ability of remaining calm in the hour of crisis, and executing his plans to perfection. Bumrah is handy to provide break-throughs with the new ball, and at a completely different level at the death, aiming the yorkers to perfection.