3 experienced players who might make it to the WC squad based on Deodhar Trophy performances
The 2019 World Cup is less than eight months away and teams from across the globe are trying to build a team which could bring the trophy home. India is amongst the favourites to do so but still have a number of areas which have to be sorted.
The biggest problem for the Indian team at present is the fragile middle order. A number of players have been tried at the number 4 and the number 5 slots and have found little success. Dhoni's poor form has only added to their miseries.
The third opener role is another area where there is a bit of concern. KL Rahul has failed repeatedly on a number of occasions in both Tests and ODIs and this might force the Indian management to look somewhere else. The third spinner's position is also still up for grabs and there is some competition for that position as well.
The middle order's weakness and the lack of credible third opener and third spinner might force the Indian selectors to look at some of the senior players whom they had ignored in the last few years to bail the team out in the World Cup
Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik is one of the unluckiest players of this generation as he has been constantly dropped from the Indian team after one or two failures while there are others who are given opportunity after opportunity with the team.
Karthik has been dropped from the Indian team yet again after a more than decent performance in the Asia Cup, where he had averaged close to 50. He has been dropped from the squad but the selectors have themselves claimed that he is still in the scheme of things as far as World Cup is concerned.
Karthik is a brilliant timer of the ball and has the ability to bat any position in the batting order. He is the ideal man to complement an out-of-form Dhoni who hasn't been able to play the big shots in recent times. Karthik can also be a solution to India's number 4 problem- a position in which he performed brilliantly in the Asia Cup.
This Deodhar Trophy will be an extremely important tournament if he is to form a part of the World Cup squad and it is important that he makes use of this opportunity to perform well and get back into the Indian team for the Australian tour.