The last date for announcing the World Cup squads is April 23 but BCCI has decided to announce it eight days prior to the scheduled date. The World Cup will begin on May 30 in the United Kingdom.
"The All-India Senior Selection Committee will meet in Mumbai on Monday, 15 April, 2019. The committee will pick the Indian Cricket Team for the upcoming ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019 to be played from 30 May to 14 July 2019 in England & Wales," BCCI said in its media release.
India skipper Virat Kohli is most likely to attend the meeting as he would be in the city to lead his IPL side Royal Challengers Bangalore against Mumbai Indians on the same evening.
With 12 of the 15 members almost booking their tickets to England, all eyes would be on whom do the selectors pick for the Number four slot in batting order. Another telling selection decision would be whether India goes for a fourth seamer in their pace attack or picks up a seaming allrounder . However the most intriguing question in every fans mind is who between Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik would make the cut as India's second wicket-keeper behind MS Dhoni in the showpiece event at England.
Virat Kohli, India captain, had made it clear last month that the core of the team for the World Cup had been more or less finalised in the last one year. He had admitted that only “one slot” was left to be filled. It led to talk on whether 21-year-old Rishabh Pant will be chosen as the second wicketkeeper ahead of the seasoned Dinesh Karthik.
According to the tournament's guidelines, every team has to announce its final squad on or before April 23. The teams, however, can make any any changes to the final squad of 15 at least seven days prior to the tournament, after which point the International Cricket Counil's Event Technical Committee must approve any such changes.
Earlier, teams would announce a probable 30-member list two months before the tournament, but under the new Members Playing Agreement which came into effect in 2016, the teams do not need to follow such a practice. Prasad had earlier exuded confidence about naming the best squad for the mega event.