One player from each team India needs to watch out for during 2019 Cricket World Cup
The Men in Blue will be entering the World Cup with an extremely strong contingent. Many experts have deemed India as the favourites to lift the trophy at the 2019 World Cup.
A lot is at stake during cricket's most prestigious tournament. Teams leave no stone unturned to bring out their best at the big stage. The margin for error is minuscule.
The single team round-robin format has also been reintroduced after a gap of 27 years. This implies that each team will play the other team once and play 9 matches during the group stage.
Also Read: ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: All team round-robin format to be used after 27 years
In such a scenario, studying the current generation of players in opposition teams is of paramount importance for every nation. These are the in-form players who are expected to make a huge impact during the World Cup and it is important for a team to learn how to tackle them.
There is at least one player in all 10 teams who stands out from the rest. For example - Virat Kohli of India. In this article, we will take a look at one player from each team the Men in Blue will need to watch out for during the 2019 World Cup.
#1 Steve Smith (Australia)
Nothing has gone Steve Smith's way in the past one year. The Sydney-born player was slapped a one-year ban by Cricket Australia following the ball-tampering incident against South Africa.
The former Australia skipper was recently seen playing for the Comilla Victorians in the Bangladesh Premier League. However, a sore elbow forced him to return home to get a checkup. Smith had to get a surgery done and will be sidelined for at least 6 weeks before the rehabilitation process can commence.
With his ban being lifted two months prior to the World Cup, Smith will be rearing to get as much game time he can.
The 29-year-old has had a fantastic career so far. He has amassed 6199 runs in 64 Tests at an average of 61.38. The right-handed batsman has also accumulated 3431 runs in the 108 ODIs he has played.
A desire to prove a point and a chance of redemption -- the 2019 World Cup presents both these opportunities to Smith. This is what makes him such a dangerous player and India must watch out for him.
Smith also possesses a brilliant record against India. He has scored 609 runs in the 14 ODI matches played against the Men in Blue at an average of 50.75.