5 promising Indian players who are likely to lose the No.4 race for World Cup

India’s squad for World Cup is to be announced on 15th April. The first choice eleven is almost certain barring the number four position. Reasonably so, it is difficult to fill shoes of the predecessor of that slot. Yuvraj Singh was dropped from the team after the Windies tour in June 2017. Ambati Rayudu has displayed some impressive performances to strengthen his case. A hundred against the Windies last year and a grinding knock of 90 versus New Zealand has put him first in the pecking order. Lately, Vijay Shankar has also earned the faith of selectors and he might be on the flight to England as well. Before Rayudu several players were tried and most certainly failed in cracking the anagram of the middle order. From veterans like MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli to young talents like KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya, nobody was able to seize the vacant space in the middle order. Here we look at five such players who are left far behind others in the race for a ticket to the World Cup. Ajinkya Rahane Ajinkya Rahane. (Photo Source: Twitter) Ajinkya Rahane is another Mumbai batsman with a reposeful attitude and whose technique is better to none. Known as the overseas specialist in the Test arena, Rahane’s ODI career of late has been in an iffy. The vice-captain of the Indian Test team has found it difficult to cement a spot in the One Day setup. Post-2015 World cup he has been in and out of the ODI team. He scored a flurry of fifties in West Indies and against Australia at home in 2017, but it all came at the opening position in absence of either Rohit Sharma or Shikhar Dhawan. After the axing of Yuvraj Singh, Rahane was entrusted with the number four duty. When Rahane scored 79 in the first ODI against South Africa in January 2018, it looked as if he is there to stay. But scores of 11, 8, 8, and 34* in the next four innings ended his sojourn in the middle order and he hasn’t played in the blues since. Not only he lost the middle order spot, but he was also vetoed out as the backup opener. Suresh Raina Suresh Raina. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) Suresh Raina made his international debut way back in 2005 and became the mainstay in the Dhoni era. He has batted most of his career in the lower middle order and played a number of pivotal cameos throughout. But his form post the 2015 World Cup diminished drastically. Raina was last picked in the ODI team 7 months ago in England where he scored 47 runs in two innings. Surprisingly, that was the only ODI series he has played since October 2015. Raina has fared well at number four. In 18 innings he has 6 half-centuries to go with a hundred. But the short ball has been his chink in the armour and the shortcoming is now exposed to every bowler up against him. Moreover, his ball clearing ability has diminished as his strike rate in the IPL is on a constant decrease in the last three years. At the moment Raina’s career in the national team looks finished, but his cameos in the knock-outs of 2011 World Cup will remain treasured. Shreyas Iyer Shreyas Iyer of India. (Photo by Richard Huggard/Gallo Images/Getty Images) Of all the batsmen picked to solve the middle order conundrum, Shreyas Iyer seems to be the most hard-done with. Iyer had an impressive start to his international career. Batting at number three against Sri Lanka he scored two fifties in his first three innings. He did nothing wrong to harm his chances in the 5 innings he has played. After the South Africa tour last year, Iyer was ousted unexpectedly. With the likes of Dinesh Karthik and Kedar Jadhav doing well regularly, he never made it back into the playing eleven again thereafter. He is the skipper of the Delhi franchise and has performed well batting at number four in the IPL. The 24-year-old has a bright future and should make into the Indian team in the foreseeable future. Manish Pandey Manish Pandey. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Manish Pandey was the most promising player in the early years of the IPL. He became the first Indian to notch a century in the IPL and suddenly took the notice of everyone. Making his ODI debut in 2015, Pandey had a good couple of years scoring at an average in the thirties. But in the puff of injuries and dipping form, he too was left out of the ODI squad. He registered his last ODI fifty in August 2017. 2018 was a year Pandey would like to forget quickly. He had a mediocre IPL and was picked in the ODI eleven just once. It came in as no surprise that he was dropped after the Asia Cup. If truth to be told, his hundred at the SCG remains the only memorable inning he has played which was three years ago. The 29-year-old has the gift of timing and stroke-making, and is an excellent fielder but needs to pull his straps to reinstate himself back in the team. Rishabh Pant Rishabh Pant. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images) Rishabh Pant has become a household name, for his ball muscling expertise, clean striking, mirthful banter and of course, babysitting! Pant made great noises in the under-19 World Cup when he smashed Nepal bowlers for a 24-ball 75 and following it with a century against Namibia. He continued to dominate in the IPL and was subsequently picked for the national team. Pant has cemented his spot in the Test side but he hasn’t been able to make his chances count in the coloured jersey. He has scored 93 runs in four innings and had done nothing noteworthy yet to push his case for the World Cup. There is no doubt on his scoring abilities and prowess but it’s his temperament and shot selections in crunch situations that have received flak from the fans. Most probably Dinesh Karthik with his maturity and experience might pip out Pant from the World Cup squad. 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5 promising Indian players who are likely to lose the No.4 race for World Cup

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