4 changes India must make to their ODI squad for the series against West Indies

Team India under Rohit Sharma successfully defended their Asia Cup crown, after defeating Bangladesh by three wickets on the final delivery of a nail-biting game of cricket at Dubai. It was a splendid team effort by the Men in Blue that earned them the title of Asian champions.

Captaincy brought out the best of Rohit, who along with his fellow opening partner Shikhar Dhawan, anchored India's batting throughout the tournament. Team India's next limited overs assignment will be against the West Indies, with the five-match ODI series starting on October 21 at Guwahati.

Let us now look at four changes India must make to their ODI squad to claim the series against the Windies

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Rishabh Pant in for Dinesh Karthik

Rishabh Pant

Dinesh Karthik's performance with the bat was not that impressive during the recently concluded 2018 Asia Cup. While Kedar Jadhav, an occasional wicketkeeper, chipped in with valuable runs as well as wickets, and MS Dhoni was at his usual best behind the stumps, Karthik's place in the XI was questionable.

His struggle to get going with the bat was evident in some of the games, as he finished the tournament with 146 runs in six games, with his highest score being 44 against Afghanistan.

With this in mind, the selectors might turn to the young wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant as an alternative for the ODI series against the West Indies. Hailed as the likely successor of MS Dhoni, Pant's heroics with the bat as well as behind the stumps during the Tests against England has us given a major indication of his inclusion for the 2019 World Cup.

If he utilises the opportunity against Jason Holder's men, the Delhi star might well cement his place as the second choice wicketkeeper for the next year's showpiece event in England and Wales.

Virat Kohli in for Manish Pandey

Virat Kohli

Though Manish Pandey played just one game for Rohit Sharma's men at the 2018 Asia Cup, he failed to make an impact. In the Super Four game against Afghanistan, Pandey walked to the middle after MS Dhoni's dismissal with the team needing another 111 runs in 24 overs.

A lot was expected from the Karnataka batsman who amassed 73*, 117*, 21* and 95* in his last four List A matches playing for India B during the victorious quadrangular series involving India A, Australia A and South Africa A.

Pandey though didn't manage to carry his form into the Asia Cup, as he scored just eight runs against a splendid Afghan bowling display at Dubai. With Virat Kohli expected to return after a break, he will be leading the side against West Indies. The Indian skipper will form the fulcrum of the Indian middle order along with Rayudu, Jadhav and Dhoni.

Hardik Pandya in for Deepak Chahar

Hardik Pandya

After a promising 2018 IPL, Deepak Chahar's career reached new heights. The Rajasthan pacer was included in India A's squad for the tri-series in England in June, where he took 16 wickets and emerged as the highest wicket-taker of the series.

Then, he went onto to make his T20I debut against England at Bristol in July, and his ODI debut for the Men in Blue against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup. Chahar, who was taken all over the park by the valiant Afghan batsmen, was quite expensive in his first and only game of the tournament, giving away 37 runs in just four overs at an economy of 9.25.

With Hardik Pandya most likely to comeback after the injury he sustained during the Asia Cup, Chahar is likely to sit out. Jadeja, who replaced Pandya is likely to retain his place in the Indian squad after his brilliance with the ball, athleticism and crucial contributions with the bat lower down the order. With ample bowling options and the Indian conditions in mind, the axe is likely to fall on Chahar.

Shardul Thakur in for Siddarth Kaul

Shardul Thakur

Well, this might be surprising as it was Thakur who actually replaced the injured Kaul during the Asia Cup. But, the fortunes are not favouring Kaul at the moment. After coming into the Indian side replacing Thakur, Kaul got his opportunity in the Final Super four game against Afghanistan, where five regular players were rested. It turned out to be a disastrous outing for the Punjab pacer, who was the only Indian bowler to go wicket-less during that game.

After a poor run in the limited-overs against England and in the only Asia Cup match, opportunities will be rare for Kaul in the future unless he performs with the ball. After an exceptional 2018 IPL where he took 16 wickets, Thakur was a part of India's squad during the England tour but didn't get his chance in the Tests.

With his Asia Cup inclusion, it looks like he is very much in the plans for the World Cup. Just ten days after sustaining the injury, he produced a much-needed performance in the Vijay Hazare trophy against Punjab (30 runs with the bat and 3/53 with the ball). If he continues performing well, then it might earn him a spot for the ODI series against West Indies that starts on October 21.