ICC World Cup 2019: 5 players who can serve up as the backup options for Team India

The ICC Cricket World Cup is a tournament that every cricketer wishes to be a part of. This carnival comes only once in four years and there is extreme competition for the 15 available spots. The National Selection Committee announced Team India’s squad for the tournament on 15th April 2019. While it brought joy to a few cricketers, it left heartbreaks for a few others. The squad that the selectors picked was mostly on the expected lines. There is a new number four, though. Vijay Shankar will be the first choice preference for this spot. Also, the selectors ignored Rishabh Pant for the quadrennial event. But he has got a long career ahead and will surely make it the next time. Even though the squad looks well-rounded, there are a few loopholes which couldn’t be addressed. Thus, a few players will be ready for their opportunity in case some unforeseen circumstances occur. Here are five backup players who can make a strong case: 1. Ambati Rayudu Ambati Rayudu. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images) Ambati Rayudu was deemed to be the number four for Team India right until the end of the last year. He also gave up red-ball cricket after Virat Kohli announced that Rayudu will be the number four for the prestigious event. However, in a matter of a few months, life turned upside down for him. Rayudu, all of a sudden, lost his touch this year. He struggled in Australia and played only one inning of substance in New Zealand. Moreover, he hasn’t had a great time in the IPL either. Thus, he was left out of the squad and Vijay Shankar was picked. But just in case there is an injury to someone in the top-order, he could be looked at as an alternative. However, the chances are very bleak as the management might not press the panic button and fly in a replacement immediately. There are already good options available in the existing squad. 2. Navdeep Saini Navdeep Saini. (Photo Source: Twitter) Navdeep Saini is a young pacer who will definitely make it to Team India soon. He bowls at an express pace and is quite a smart customer. Even though he struggled in the first four games of IPL this year, he came back strong and made a point to the selectors. He has been so impressive that MSK Prasad, the chairman of selectors, announced that they are looking at him as a back-up option. Moreover, India doesn’t have the fourth pacer in the squad. While Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah will be the three frontline pacers, Hardik Pandya will be the fourth option. Therefore, as soon as any one of them gets injured, a replacement is inevitable and his name could be considered. 3. Khaleel Ahmed Khaleel Ahmed. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Having a left-arm pacer in the line-up has got its own set of advantages. They create a completely different angle and not many batsmen are comfortable with it. Moreover, a left-arm pacer is not only good with the inswingers but has also got the luxury of taking the ball away with the angle. Thus, they need not work extremely hard on that particular variations. One would feel Khaleel Ahmed missed out on making it to the squad by a whisker. The pacer did everything right until he toured Australia and New Zealand. However, he came back strong in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and picked up a three-wicket haul in his maiden IPL outing this year. 4. Deepak Chahar Deepak Chahar. (Photo by David Davies/PA Wire) The fourth pacer is one of the biggest weak links in this squad. For suppose if any player loses his form, there isn’t someone the management and the captain can consider. Since they are playing in England, they can also be conditions where a team would be tempted to go with four or even five frontline pacers. Thus, three players on this list are the fast bowlers itself. Deepak Chahar could be another one of those valuable replacements if a tough situation arises. There could be a case where the captain can bowl most of his overs in the first twenty and can save someone like Jasprit Bumrah for the end. Hence, Chahar makes a very good case for a replacement pick. 5. Shreyas Gopal/Ravichandran Ashwin Shreyas Gopal. (Photo Source: Twitter) Another spot where there is a slight void left is in the spinner’s department. Both Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have been playing non-stop cricket over the last year or two. Thus, if one of them snaps midway through the tournament, India doesn’t have a reliable option to fall back upon. Ravindra Jadeja isn’t someone who can fit into all conditions while playing in a country like England. Thus, Shreyas Gopal makes an excellent replacement. He might not have made his debut at the highest level. But has shown that he has got the temperament and the skill in whatever IPL games he has played. He isn’t afraid of bowling to the big batsmen and savours the challenge. Moreover, his skill with the bat could come in handy if required. If the selectors are looking for experience, Ravichandran Ashwin might make a case. However, this seems highly improbable. Mayank Markande could be an option too. Get the latest Cricket News and updates from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.

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ICC World Cup 2019: 5 players who can serve up as the backup options for Team India

MS Dhoni hardly gets injured and Dinesh Karthik is in the ranks anyway. Thus, the team doesn't need to bother about the third keeper much.

3. Khaleel Ahmed

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