4 players who have an outside chance to make it to the Indian team for the 2019 World Cup
Team India is on a roll in ODI cricket. After beating Australia in Australia and New Zealand in New Zealand, India has got most of its bases covered for the upcoming World Cup in England.
While the team management has identified most of the players who are going to take part in the mega event, there are still a few cricketers who are in the reckoning for making it to the Indian team.
Team India still has 5 ODIs against Australia at home to identify which players will be on the flight to England.
Here is a look at 4 such players who still are in the race to make it to the 2019 World Cup:
#1 Rishabh Pant
While the wicket-keeper batsman has made rapid strides in Test cricket and has become an indispensable part of the Test outfit, Rishabh Pant has represented India only in 2 ODIs. In the said ODIs, the youngster has scored just 41 runs at an average of 20.50 and a strike rate of 132.26.
Chief selector M.S.K. Prasad has recently indicated that Pant is very much a part of the ODI team and could be India's wildcard entry to the World Cup squad.
Pant played a match winning innings in the second T20 against New Zealand at Eden Park and scored 40 runs off just 28 runs at a strike rate of 142.86. The fact that Pant has the ability to dominate bowling attacks and score quick runs may go in his favour for him getting selected for the 2019 World Cup.
Pant has tasted success in Australia and England in Tests and with the ODI format more suited to his style of batting, the youngster will look to make the most of the opportunity of playing in the 5-match ODI series against Australia at home if he gets selected.
Pant definitely deserves to be a part of the Indian team for the World Cup considering the way he has adopted to international cricket in a short span of a year.
He will be competing for a place in the World Cup squad with the experienced Dinesh Karthik, who represented India in just 2 ODIs in the recently concluded 5-match ODI series against New Zealand. Karthik has been looked to play the role of a finisher in ODI cricket and has done reasonably well in the limited opportunities he has got in the last one year.
It will be interesting to see if the management prefers the youth and promise of Pant over the experienced Karthik. The 5-match ODI series against Australia will give a clear signal as to whether Pant will or will not be a part of the mega event.