The ICC 2019 World Cup in England and Wales is just a few months away and every cricketer will dream to be a part of their national squads that take part in the mega event. Meanwhile, this is the 12th edition of the Cricket World Cup, scheduled to be from 30 May to 14 July 2019.
However, every side is currently trying all permutation and combination to settle their playing XI. Indian National Cricket team is also trying to settle their first XI for the premier tournament. Virat Kohli & Co, meanwhile, have more or less fixed their squad for the World Cup; however, they are yet to finalise a batsman for the no 4 spot.
It has been long and they have tried many options for the role but nobody is yet to show the consistency required to cement their place. They have tried KL Rahul, Dinesh Karthik, Ambati Rayudu, and Shreyas Iyer in the place but they have all struggled to put their hand up and perform. However, among all, Rayudu and Karthik seem to be the front-runner in the role. It will probably be their last chance to fulfill their ICC World Cup dream because of their age.
They would have to do everything in their power to fulfill that dream. Their performances in the next couple of ODI series would decide their role in the team for the world cup.
Here are the 3 Indian players who will have their last chance to fulfill their ICC World Cup dream:
DINESH KARTHIK
Dinesh Karthik found a new lifeline when he topped the scoring chart in the 2017 edition of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He got an international call on the back of some strong domestic performances and soon made a mark. He played a crucial role in the Nidahas Trophy final scoring 29 runs off just 8 balls including a last-ball six to help India lift the trophy.
He was also excellent as a finisher for Kolkata Knight Rider in the IPL. He scored 498 runs at a strike rate of 147.77 for KKR, which helped them to reach the qualifiers.
With the World Cup still a few months away, Dinesh Karthik will get enough match time to book his tickets for the mega event. However, he will have to be consistent with the bat.
AMBATI RAYUDU
Ambati Rayudu has had a topsy turvy career throughout his career. He has changed his stateside on many occasions which proves that he has been on a tussle with the team management. However, his international career could have ended before it begun as he decided to play the Indian Cricket League, which went against the BCCI directives.
However, he got a lifeline when he accepted the BCCI’s amnesty offer and played in the IPL. Due to his uneven career, he could only play 47 ODIs; however, averages about 49 in the ODIs. Rayudu was part of India’s squad in the 2015 World Cup but did not get a game. Everyone thought that he was close to retirement. His career again took a significant turn in 2018 IPL. He batted fluently at all the positions to help his franchise Chennai Super Kings lift another IPL title.
Currently, Ambati Rayudu is a part of the current setup and bats at the important no four position. However, he will have to consistent enough to cement his place in the playing XI.
KEDAR JADHAV
Kedar Jadhav announced his arrival in the 2014 edition of the Indian Premier League with his extravagant scoring abilities. In the coming year, he improvised his batting adding new shots to his armoury. However, he grabbed the limelight with a stunning century against England in 2017.
In addition to, he is more than a handy customer as the sixth bowler with his side-arm off-spin. So far, he has bagged 22 wickets and is go to man where there is a need of breaking partnerships. However, Kedhar Jadhav will have to be consistent to keep his place in the playing XI and sit on the plane for England.
