India's WC team: Chief selector MSK Prasad explains why Karthik, Shankar were selected

BCCI's national selection committee under the aegis of Chief selector MSK Prasad met at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai to select the squad for the showpiece event in the United Kingdom.

Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik (L) listens to teammate Mahendra Singh Dhoni as they walk back after winning the second ODI cricket match between India and New Zealand at The Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on October 25, 2017. (Photo by INDRANIL MUKHERJEE / AFP) / ----IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE----- / GETTYOUT

The Indian World Cup squad led by Virat kohli, comprises five specialist batsmen, two wicketkeepers, three fast bowlers, three all-rounders and two specialist spinners.

Seasoned glovesman Dinesh Karthik edged young turk Rishabh Pant as India's second wicket-keeper batsman.

Vijay Shankar got the look in as India's seam all rounder to bolster the seam attack

Mumbai: The long and tantalizing wait for die-hard Indian cricket fans eventually came to an end as the Board for Cricket Control in India (BCCI) on Monday announced the fifteen member World Cup squad for the ICC World Cup in England. The national selection committee under the aegis of Chief selector MSK Prasad met at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai to select the squad for the showpiece event in the United Kingdom. Eleven players were automatic selections due to their impressive track record and performance — Virat Kohli (captain), MS Dhoni (wicket-keeper), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Kedar Jadhav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The side, expectedly led by Virat kohli, comprises five specialist batsmen, two wicketkeepers, three fast bowlers, three all-rounders and two specialist spinners. Seasoned glovesman  Dinesh Karthik edged young turk Rishabh Pant as India's second wicket-keeper batsman. Vijay Shankar got the look in as India's seam all rounder to bolster the seam attack and Ravindra Jadeja was included as the spin all-rounder to lend balance to the side. Here is India's fifteen member squad for the 2019 ICC World Cup Virat Kohli (Capt), Rohit Sharma (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, MSD (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd Shami "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 had earlier said in its media release. The last date for announcing the World Cup squads is April 23 but BCCI decided to announce it eight days prior to the scheduled date. The World Cup will begin on May 30 in the United Kingdom. Why Karthik was chosen over Pant?  The second wicketkeeper was the sole bone of contention for the marquee event starting in England and Wales on May 30 and the 33-year-old Karthik's experience of 91 ODIs gave him the edge over the 21-year-old Pant, according to the five-member selection panel headed by MSK Prasad. "It is definitely a case which we have debated at length. In unison, we felt either DK or Pant will only come into the playing eleven if Mahi is injured. So, at that juncture if it is a crucial match, a quarterfinal or a semifinal, keeping also matters," Prasad told reporters after the announcement of the squad "That is the only reason why we went ahead with DK otherwise Pant was almost there," he added. It was a more or less predictable 15-member squad picked by the national selection committee with another notable inclusion being Tamil Nadu's seam bowling all-rounder Vijay Shankar, who is expected to be used as a floater in the batting order, especially at number 4. Shankar, with his "three-dimensional qualities", took the slot which was speculated to go to Ambati Rayudu before his dip in form in the home series against Australia last month. "We have been planning soon after the completion of the Champions Trophy (2017) for this. But let me tell you that in the last month or so, there have been a couple of players who have really cropped up like Vijay Shankar," he said. But there was no debate on KL Rahul's inclusion and he is set to be the third opener or a potential middle-order floater alongside Shankar. (With additional information from PTI)

Published at : 15 Apr 2019 03:28 PM (IST)

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