ICC World Cup 2019: 5 Indian cricketers who can help India lift the trophy

Modified Feb 22, 2019 15:57 IST

The World Cup 2019 is barely three months away. All the teams are doing their preparation to ensure they win the trophy, and it would be interesting to see which of them arrives in the best possible shape.

The Indian team has been playing consistently of late, having performed quite well in the recent tours to Australia and New Zealand. The Indian bowling and batting line-up look very strong currently, and they seem to have all the potential to win the World Cup.

There are five Indian cricket players who will hold the key to India's performance in England . Here, we take a look at those five players.

5. Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah is one of the best pace bowlers in the Indian squad right now. He has been performing quite remarkably within India as well as abroad, and against all oppositions.

In the last 10 games, Bumrah has taken 20 wickets against the West Indies, Pakistan, South Africa, and Bangladesh. His in-swingers, yorkers and bouncers have put many of the best batsmen in a tight spot.

Overall, he has played 44 ODI matches and taken 78 wickets at an average of 21.01, which is phenomenal.

The English conditions will be really conducive to his bowling and hence he is expected to play a key role. The management would need to preserve his energies so that he can perform to his potential during the World Cup.

4. Kuldeep Yadav

The slow left-arm Chinaman bowler from Kanpur has been a revelation for India. His ability to turn the ball on any surface and under any conditions has been exemplary.

Kuldeep Yadav has added several variations to his arsenal - top-spin, flighted ones, and faster ones - to beat the batsmen. He uses his imagination to outperform the opposition batsmen, which will come in handy during the pressure situations in the World Cup matches.

So far, Kuldeep has taken 77 wickets in 30 matches at an average of 20.64, which are stupendous numbers.

3. Rohit Sharma

Known for his Midas touch, Rohit Sharma has been superb in the ODI games over the last few years. His ability to score big hundreds at a fast pace makes him a deadly batsman in the format.

Sharma has hit three double-hundreds, a record yet to be broken by anyone. His deft touch, pull shots and cover drives are exquisite. Being the vice-captain of the team, he will certainly have more responsibility.

Sharma has played 201 matches and scored 7808 runs at an average of 47.60. This comprises 22 centuries and 39 half-centuries.

2. MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni is one of the biggest icons in world cricket. Known for his cool-headedness, he has aged amazingly well. His wicket-keeping has become even better than before; his lightning-fast stumpings have given important breakthroughs to India at crucial moments.

Dhoni has also evolved as a batsman. He has become more mature and clinical in his approach. While his ability to rotate the strike early on has taken a bit of a hit, he can still strike humongous sixes at any point, making him a dangerous player for the opposition.

Dhoni has played 338 matches and scored 10415 runs at an average of 50.80. He has also taken 311 catches and performed 119 stumpings.

1. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is a born leader and the best batsman in modern cricket.

Kohli has won numerous matches for India, almost single-handedly on some occasions. His stroke-play, footwork and range of shots give him a huge upper edge over his contemporaries.

As a captain, Kohli has evolved very quickly, and he is now in a position to inspire his teammates to glory.

Kohli has played 222 matches and scored 10533 runs at an average of 59.50. This comprises 39 centuries and 49 half-centuries.