The 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup is reaching its end with England and New Zealand set to face each other at Lord's on Sunday in the final. So, we are guaranteed a first-time World Cup winner which is brilliant to see. In this slideshow, though, we are going to talk about India who were ousted by New Zealand in the semi-finals.
Barring a few moments in two matches, India played some brilliant cricket but they couldn't handle the pressure in the hunt for another World Cup. India had the right blend of youth and experience in their squad and some of those experienced players might have played their last world cup for India.
So, without further ado, here are the 3 players who might have played the last world cup representing India.
#3 Dinesh Karthik
A cricketer who has played second fiddle to MS Dhoni almost all his career might have played his last world cup for India. There were many questions raised when Karthik was picked ahead of Rishabh Pant as the second choice wicket-keeper and maybe those questions were legitimate as Karthik failed to make a serious impact in the three matches he got to play.
He scored 8 against Bangladesh and when he got the biggest opportunity of his life to play a match-winning innings in the semi-finals, he scored just 6 runs off 25 balls. With Rishabh Pant showing some signs of maturity and consistency, it is possible that Karthik is dropped from the ODI squad altogether.
Still, a potent middle-order batsman in T20 cricket, Karthik's days of playing ODI cricket might just be over. While it is fair to say that Karthik hasn't had luck by his side, he also hasn't taken the chances thrown at him.
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#2 Kedar Jadhav
There are no questions over how unlucky Kedar Jadhav is as he came into this World Cup as an out and out all-rounder who adds balance to the Indian side but he hardly got to bat and bowl. And, after the loss to England in the group stage, he was dropped from the team and Dinesh Karthik was selected in his place for the last three games.
Jadhav played a total of 7 matches scoring a measly 80 runs with one half-century and he bowled a total of 6 overs picking up zero wickets. It will be safe to say that Jadhav didn't have the best of tournaments in England.
The 34-year-old is reaching the dawn of his career and while he might be included in the upcoming tours, it will be safe to say that this World Cup might be the first and the last for Kedar Jadhav.
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#1 MS Dhoni
The man who cried walking back into the dugout after he couldn't get India over the line in a crunch semi-final game, MS Dhoni has surely played his last world cup. Still the best wicket-keeper batsman in the country and one of the fittest cricketers going around, Dhoni could retire at a good moment in his career.
By his standards, MS didn't really have a great world cup but he made himself count whenever the team needed him. In the 9 matches that he played, he scored 273 runs. His innings of 50 off 72 balls against New Zealand in the semi-final showed his ability to deal with pressure, something very few people in this Indian team can do.
Dhoni is one of the greatest gifts to Indian cricket and he has fulfilled his job of being the composed head amongst the youngsters. While Dhoni might still play the T20 World Cup next year, his journey in the ICC World Cups is surely over.
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