Rishabh Pant and Ambati Rayudu were the biggest exclusions as India named the 15-member squad for ICC World Cup 2019. The team, which will be led by Virat Kohli, included Dinesh Karthik as the second wicket-keeper besides MS Dhoni.
Vijay Shankar was included in the squad as an all-rounder along with Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and Kedar Jadhav. In the bowling department, the individuals who were included in the team were Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Shami.
The squad :
Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, MSD (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami
Veteran Dinesh Karthik pipped young turk Rishabh Pant in the fight for the second wicket-keeper’s slot.
There were no surprises as the MSK Prasad-headed selection committee maintained continuity in their choices with the only topic of discussion being the second wicketkeeper.
The 33-year-old Karthik got the nod ahead of the 21-year-old Pant despite an indifferent IPL campaign with the Kolkata Knight Riders.
“The second wicketkeeper comes into play only if Mahi (Mahendra Singh Dhoni) is injured. We went ahead with Karthik because of his experience in big matches,” Prasad said while announcing the squad here. The side, expectedly led by Virat kohli, comprises five specialist batsmen, two wicket-keepers, three fast bowlers, three all-rounders and two specialist spinners.
Tamil Nadu all-rounder Vijay Shankar made it for his “three-dimensional” qualities.
