Asia Cup 2018: 5 Indian batsmen who could cement their place in the 2019 World Cup squad
The race to become the Asian Champion has already begun in the Asia Cup 2018, and one of the giants Sri Lanka is already knocked out of the tournament. India will start their campaign against Hong Kong on 18th September while their biggest challenge awaits against their arch-rivals Pakistan on 19th September.
The World Cup is just eight months away, and most of the teams are almost ready with their blueprint of the squad. India, on the other hand, are also prepared and would look to resolve the middle order conundrum. It has been one of the grey areas where the Men in Blue would look to improve, and this multi-event tournament provides the perfect platform for it.
Without the services of Virat Kohli, Indian batsmen will have to play with more responsibilities in the middle order. The selectors have included a lot of experienced players who have done well for India A or in the domestic circuit. It could be the last opportunity for all the fringe players to showcase their skills and cement their spot in the World Cup 2019.
Let us find out which Indian batsman in the Asia Cup has a better chance in the next year's mega event.
#5 Dinesh Karthik
The journey of Dinesh Karthik has been a roller coaster ride from his heroics in the Nidihas Trophy final to a bizarre outing in the England Test series. There was a lot of expectancy hovering around him that he might deliver in Tests, but he failed to grab the opportunity.
Karthik has been selected in the Asia Cup tournament, and it could be his last rehearsal for the World Cup 2019. It will be a tough competition for him to prove his mettle as a most of the other batsmen are looking in good form.
The Tamil Nadu batsman would look to perform and maximize his batting potential to grab a spot in the fragile middle order. His ability to finish games in a difficult situation makes him a strong contender for the World Cup squad.