ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: India all 15 player profiles
Meet two-time champion India's 15-member squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
Published : May 28, 2019 14:53 IST
India
Previous appearances: 1975, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015
Shikhar Dhawan
Batsman | Age: 33
Matches - 128 | Runs - 5355 | Avg - 44.62 | HS - 143 | 100s - 16 | 50s - 27
Shikhar Dhawan made his ODI and international debut for India in 2010 and has been an everpresent in the Indian limited-overs teams since 2013. The Champions Trophy that year was the tournament in which he announced himself as an ODI batsman, finishing as the highest run-scorer (363 runs in five innings) who played an integral role in India lifting the trophy under MS Dhoni’s leadership. He again proved himself to be a man for the big occasion by scoring 412 runs in eight innings at the 2015 World Cup, with his 137 against South Africa in Melbourne a standout performance. Given his record in ICC tournaments and ability to churn out runs consistently, Dhawan will be key to India’s chances of winning the 2019 World Cup.
Rohit Sharma
Batsman | Age: 32
Matches - 206 | Runs - 8010 | Avg - 47.39 | HS - 264 | 100s - 22 | 50s - 41
Rohit Sharma’s India career took off when MS Dhoni, India’s former captain, promoted him to open the batting before the 2013 edition of Champions Trophy. He had managed some crucial knocks batting in the middle order, including scoring back to back centuries in a tri-series in Zimbabwe in 2010. But 75 per cent of Rohit’s one-day career runs have come when he has opened the batting and 20 of his 22 ODI centuries have also come as an opener. Playing his second World Cup, Rohit will be key to India’s chances of winning the quadrennial tournament.
K. L. Rahul
Batsman | Age: 27
Matches - 14 | Runs - 343 | Avg - 34.30 | HS - 100* | 100s -1 | 50s -2
K. L. Rahul made his international debut in December 2014 and his copious talent with the bat has been evident on many occasions, particularly in Twenty20 and Test cricket. When he plays the backfoot punch through the covers, drives on the up through mid-off and extra cover with a high front elbow, it’s difficult not to be in awe. But, as India’s batting coach, Sanjay Bangar, once said, Rahul has tended to “find new ways to get out”, which perhaps explains his relatively low batting averages and lack of consistency in Test and ODI cricket, while he’s been most successful in T20I cricket. However, he’s relatively new to ODI cricket, having played only 14 ODIs (which have also been spread over three years), and Rahul’s selection in India’s 2019 World Cup squad is a reminder of the backing he has for his talent, which must translate into performances sooner than later.
Virat Kohli
Batsman | Age: 30
Matches -227 | Runs -10843 | Avg -59.57 | HS -183 | 100s -41 | 50s -49
Virat Kohli will go into his third World Cup as the best batsman in world cricket at the moment. He has scored a mountain of runs in ODI cricket (4306 to be precise at an average of 78.29, with 19 centuries) in the four years between the last and the upcoming World Cup, achieving a level of consistency that has seldom been matched in any generation since the introduction of one-day cricket in 1974. Ricky Ponting said recently that “if Kohli has a good World Cup, India will win”, and the spotlight will certainly be on the 30-year-old.
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M. S. Dhoni
Wicketkeeper-batsman | Age: 37
Matches -341 | Runs -10500 | Avg -50.72 | HS -183* | 100s -10 | 50s -71 | Catches -314 | Stumpings -120
The 2019 World Cup could be M. S. Dhoni’s last as an international cricketer and his swansong comes in a format which has showcased the very best of Dhoni the batsman. His unbeaten 91 in the 2011 World Cup final, walking in to bat with India in a tight corner chasing 271 for victory, is testament to Dhoni’s brilliance as a one-day batsman. No other batsman even comes close to his batting average in successful run-chases (105.25) and his ability to read situations and conditions is second to none. Dhoni’s tactical astuteness, unique and effective glovework behind the stumps and the undiminished ability to finish off matches (which has been evident on more than one occasion this year) make him a vital cog in a dynamic Indian one-day team.
Kedar Jadhav
Batsman | Age: 34
Matches -59 | Runs -1174 | Avg -43.48 | HS -120 | 100s -2 | 50s -5 |Wickets -27 | Best - 3-23 | Eco -5.15
Kedar Jadhav made his India debut in 2014, but the rise from a fringe to a key player began in October 2016, when Suresh Raina missed a home ODI (in Dharamsala) against New Zealand due to viral fever. Jadhav took 2/6 in three overs in that match and, apart from missing a handful of matches due to hamstring and muscle injuries, has been a regular in the Indian one-day team ever since. He has consistently delivered in his role as a lower middle-order batsman and fifth bowler. Jadhav has turned around the course of many ODI matches with his round-arm off-spin, while he has won matches with the bat too with his calm head and ball-striking ability.
Vijay Shankar
Batsman | Age: 28
Matches -9 | Runs -165 | Avg -33.00 | HS -46 | Wickets -2 | Best - 2-15
Vijay Shankar earned his maiden India call-up, first for the Twenty20 team, six years after he made his first-class debut for Tamil Nadu. Shankar’s destiny would have it that, in 2016, a knee injury picked up on India A duty gave contemporary Hardik Pandya a chance to put his name up for the national call-up. Then, three years later, Pandya’s misogynistic comments on a TV show brought him an indefinite suspension from the BCCI and he was replaced in the Indian ODI squad for a three-match series in Australia by Shankar. He made his ODI debut in the third match of the series, but made real impact on the following tour of New Zealand and when Australia came to India in March. Shankar won the faith of the Indian team management and the national selectors with his textbook-style batting, useful medium-pace bowling and athletic fielding, to earn the ticket to the 2019 World Cup.
Dinesh Karthik
Wicketkeeper-batsman | Age: 33
Matches -91 | Runs -1738 | Avg -31.03 | HS -79 | 50s -9 | Catches -57 | Stumpings - 6
Dinesh Karthik is the senior-most member of the national team, having made his India debut before M. S. Dhoni in 2004. However, Karthik has not been able to nail down his spot in any Indian team and his international appearances, for a player who’s been around for 15 years, have been sporadic at best. His role in the team has morphed massively too, over the years. Having come into the reckoning as a wicketkeeper-batsman who was technically sound with the gloves and with the bat, Karthik currently plays as a specialist batsman whenever he’s picked in the XI. Being named in India’s 2019 World Cup squad ahead of Rishabh Pant raised a few eyebrows, but Karthik has the experience and temperament to justify his place.
Hardik Pandya
All-rounder | Age: 25
Matches -45 | Runs -731 | Avg -29.24 | HS -83 | 50s -4 | Wickets -44 | Eco - 5.53 | Best - 3-31
Hardik Pandya has been a key figure in India’s renaissance as a one-day outfit since mid-2016. Increased pace and potency have made him India’s third seamer, while Hardik has always been a dangerous batsman with his ball-striking ability lower down the order. Hardik goes into the 2019 World Cup with a wealth of experience at the international level but also with huge expectations as a result of his three-dimensional skill set. He hasn’t played much international cricket leading up to the quadrennial tournament, his last ODI coming way back in February on the tour of New Zealand. But as someone who loves the big stage, Hardik will no doubt be looking forward to his maiden World Cup with the national team.
Ravindra Jadeja
All-rounder | Age: 30
Matches -151 | Runs -2035 | Avg -29.93 | HS -87 | 50s -10 | Wickets -174 | Eco -4.88 | Best - 5-36
Ravindra Jadeja broke into the national team as an immensely-talented all-rounder. He was part of India’s under-19 World Cup-winning team, led by Virat Kohli, in 2008. He was then part of Rajasthan Royals IPL-winning team in the same year and, a year later, was rewarded with India debut. Jadeja hasn’t always set the stage on fire in limited-overs cricket, with his accurate left-arm orthodox spin not quite delivering the wickets with the level of consistency it usually does in Test cricket. Batting at No. 8, Jadeja hasn’t always scored runs his batting ability and technique suggest he should be able to, but he remains an indispensable member of the Indian side thanks to his being an all-rounder.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Bowler | Age: 29
Matches -105 | Wickets -118 | Eco -5.01 | Best - 5-42
Bhuvneshwar Kumar burst onto the scene in 2012 as an out-and-out swing bowler who the then-captain M. S. Dhoni used predominantly with the new ball. The UP seamer has always had the gift of moving the ball both ways, but the lack of pace made him one-dimensional. Bhuvneshwar showed signs of transformation to a well-rounded bowler in IPL 2016, finishing the tournament as the highest wicket-taker and playing a massive role in Sunrisers Hyderabad winning the trophy. The numbers also suggest that Bhuvneshwar is an improved bowler than when he burst into the national side: 58 of his 118 ODI career wickets have come in the last three years, and has since added pace to his bowling as well. He's been effective in the death overs. Bhuvneshwar has shown on more than one occasion that he’s a handy lower-order batsman who can help India win close, low-scoring matches.
Mohammed Shami
Bowler | Age: 29
Matches -63 | Wickets -113 | Eco -5.48 | Best - 4-35
Mohammed Shami is a complete fast bowler. His skill set allows him to be effective even when a pitch offers little assistance. A bowler who swings the ball and hurries the batsmen when he bowls on a good or back-of-good length, Shami can be disconcerting to face for any batsman. Injuries and fitness issues have kept the Bengal pacer from being an all-formats bowler for India, but the year 2019 has seen the best of Shami in Test and ODI cricket. He justified his recall to the Indian one-day side with good performances against Australia (home and away) and was lethal in helpful conditions in New Zealand as well. His rise to being India’s No. 2 bowler in ODIs has been rapid, having been on the fringes for most part of the post-World Cup 2015 period.
Jasprit Bumrah
Bowler | Age: 25
Matches -49 | Wickets -85 | Eco -4.51 | Best - 5-27
Jasprit Bumrah’s rise to being India’s bowling spearhead has been rapid. He made his ODI debut only in January 2016, but he soon became India’s most dependable bowler, who has continued to get better with every match at the international level. His bowling performances in South Africa, England and Australia in the last 15 months have been particularly impressive. His ability to nail the yorker and bowl one at will, and hurry and unsettle the batsman with his explosive and unusual action make him a difficult bowler to face for any batsman. Combined with his unique bowling skills is his unflappable demeanour, which makes him capable of delivering the goods in high-pressure situations and the go-to bowler for Virat Kohli.
Kuldeep Yadav
Bowler | Age: 24
Matches -44 | Wickets -87 | Eco -4.93 | Best - 6-25
Kuldeep Yadav has been a big part of India’s transformation as a one-day outfit in the last two years. India, for a large part of 2015 (post-World Cup), 2016 and until the Champions Trophy in mid-2017, struggled for wickets in the middle overs, with R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja unable to replicate their potency from the Test format and on occasions, proving expensive as well. Kuldeep has delivered wickets consistently since his ODI debut in July 2017 and his partnership with Yuzvendra Chahal has helped India strangle opposition during what has become the most important phase of an ODI innings (overs 11 to 40). Left-arm chinaman bowlers are still few and far, but Kuldeep stands above the likes of Lakshan Sandakan and Tabraiz Shamsi because of greater control over his stock delivery and his ability to exert pressure by being consistent with his line and length.
Yuzvendra Chahal
Bowler | Age: 28
Matches -41 | Wickets -72 | Eco -4.89 | Best - 6-42
Yuzvendra Chahal has been as important to India’s success in ODIs as his spin twin, Kuldeep Yadav. Both have formed a formidable partnership in the period since the 2017 Champions Trophy, with R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja dropping out of favour. By his own admission, Chahal has benefited from playing a lot of IPL cricket for Royal Challengers Bangalore at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where spinners (and bowlers, in general) have little margin for error given the relatively smaller boundary. While he often bowls the right trajectory to ensure he turns the ball while making sure the batsmen don’t get after him, Chahal has, of late, tended to bowl a lot flatter and quicker. That has resulted in the wickets drying up and him losing his place in the XI. Chahal, though, remains a key component in India’s ODI setup.