India XI: Optimal Squad for ICC WC 2019

With the World Cup right around the corner, speculations and analysis on who should be on the flight is the hot topic around here. A set bowling order, barring any injuries, should not see any changes. Jaspreet Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal are all set for the glory that beckons after a probable win or the agony of the loss despite being such a dominant squad.

Hardik Pandya, regardless of his off-field setbacks, should be on the flight as well. Indian top order comprising of Rohit Sharma-Shikhar Dhawan-Virat Kohli is what tips the scales of a repeat of 2011 glory in India's favour. Can the team management and selection committee figure out the rest of the puzzle? That remains to be seen.

In the meantime, I take some time in making my prediction and analysis on who should be in the final 15 or 16 players (Ravi Shastri is not sure about this yet therefore neither am I) and what would be the ideal playing XI supported by my logic.

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Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri will have a lot to mull upon till the last minute

I will start with the 15 or 16 players who should be on the team and then move on to the playing XI.

India Squad: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu, Hardik Pandya, Jaspreet Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kedar Jadhav, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Vijay Shankar, Krunal Pandya

Though this list and the final XI will be subject to individual performances in IPL 2019, I don't really expect any major changes due to that. Sure, it could possibly tweak with a position or two but the selection committee and the team management very well know the consequences of any last minute changes and will avoid making any adverse decision.

Cricket is such a famous sport and with so many people with such a good understanding of the game, criticism from the crowd will be easy to come and they will be wary of that.

Opening Pair

The bromance between Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan is strong

With no other opening pair prepared, our beloved Gabbar-Hitman combo has been working great for India. To be more correct, this opening pair has been more successful than any other opening pair in the world and should continue unchanged despite the situation.

I am not sure whether the selectors are looking at KL Rahul as a substitute opening player and hence his recent inclusion despite a string of dismal performances, but whatever be the case, I find no reason for KL Rahul to be substituted for any other player in the playing XI.

My logic is pretty simple - while some people might argue that KL Rahul might be suffering on form and he still has a class, I don't think it is wise to include him on quite a few counts.

First, his poor form will affect his confidence and we do not want a player with such low confidence going on to play for India in the World Cup where confidence plays a key role. Second, he is presently in a threat mentality over a challenge mentality. So, any challenge thrown his way will backfire as he will fail in living up to the challenge.

Third, he might be a good player but he does not have the mentality to be great. He succumbs under pressure and if you remember the recently concluded Australia test series, you should also remember that after getting out for a paltry score, he went on to the nets to practice his batting more. That indicates either he is ill-prepared or he thinks he is ill-prepared, none of which is the mentality of a person who deserves to be in the team.

With everyone high on form and confidence, we do not want someone who will end up dragging everyone down.

The 3rd and 4th position dilemma

Kohli and Dhoni, like fire and ice

With Virat Kohli playing in one of the spots, the problem might not seem to be big but those who follow the matches know that if the trio of Dhawan-Rohit-Kohli departs early in the innings, barring a few instances, winning the match becomes a mammoth task for the rest.

Accepted, that Dhoni has struck gold recently and with Hardik Pandya and Kedar Jadhav's inclusion, India still might be able to pull off a heist but leaving it up to possibility is not being prepared for a gala event like World Cup. In a recent interview, Ravi Shastri conceded that he might consider playing Virat down the order at No. 4. With the No. 3 position opening up, I feel India should promote Dhoni up there.

This position fits his present condition perfectly, especially when it takes some time for him to warm up his engine. With just a wicket lost, he can both accelerate or consolidate the innings depending upon the needs of the situation. Everyone knows how well he reads the game.

Other options could be playing Vijay Shankar or Rishabh Pant here. While Vijay Shankar might be able to bring a little bit of level-headedness into the attack, it will be either all blitz or nothing with Pant. This will completely depend upon the opponent and the conditions on the day of the game but the wise choice would be playing Dhoni up here while Virat comes at 4.

The middle order pandemonium

Kedar Jadhav and Ambati Rayudu have a stiff test ahead

This is where the headache begins to worsen for India. With so many talented players vying for just 2 spots, none of them could be properly tested despite having long preparatory time. With a little bit of misfortune and some lack of foresight, this is the part puzzle where India is missing out on the story.

Before Hardik Pandya comes out and sets everything on fire, these 2 spots are to be filled from a roster consisting Kedar Jadhav, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik(though he seems to be a bit out of favour at the moment), Rishabh Pant, Vijay Shankar and Dhoni depending upon who is batting at 3.

To be honest, if Krunal Pandya makes it to the squad, I will be pretty surprised unless he acts as an injury cover to someone. My suggestion would be to show confidence in the players tested. Fill up the 5th position with Ambati Rayudu followed by Kedar Jadhav coming in at 6 might be the sensible way to go unless you are in the position or mood to gamble.

Coming to Dinesh Karthik, in the few instances, when the entire batting line up was failing, he could not rise up to the occasion and prove his ability. Instead, he followed suit and was early in walking back to the pavilion much like his teammates. Maybe, even a stray case of taking the responsibility could have vouched for his inclusion but there isn't any.

What remains of Rishabh Pant and Vijay Shankar, I believe they are talented but too inexperienced to handle such a big event like the World Cup yet.

The tail and the bowlers

The Indian bowling now has a lot more strike power than before

Hardik Pandya is always a certainty. He is an excellent fielder, a dominant bowler and a swashbuckling batsman. Moreover, he rises to the occasion and performs.

Coming to the bowling unit, it has been reiterated multiple times now that the Indian bowling is probably at its best now. Greats have come in the past but mostly they were lone warriors. The present bowling lineup performs as a wholesome package and all that needs to be done is to select the right combination depending upon the day.

While we have a pace bowling all-rounder in Hardik Pandya, we have an alternative spinner in Kedar Jadhav. Now, we have the liberty to select 3 among Shami, Bhuvi, Chahal and Kuldeep. Bumrah is always a certainty, he isn't the top-ranked ODI bowler for nothing.

However, there comes a risk in playing Chahal, he is a bit weak on the field. Whatever be the case, we now have the comfort to keep the bowling balanced or a little bit pace-heavy depending upon the need and conditions on the match-day.

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Final XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Jaspreet Bumrah, 3 of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal

Whatever be the drawbacks, I feel the homework done in the past 2 years was good and I will be rooting for the new generation India, a side that is ferocious, relentless and feared by opponents.