India's Road to World Cup 2019

[Pratters]

Dhoni, I hope isn't there in the squad but looks unlikely.

What should the squad be.. who are locks and who are contenders at this stage?

 

[Daemon]

That middle lower order is really worrying. It's also really hard to fit KL anywhere but he's too good to leave out imo.

They'll never drop MSD but I'm just hoping they don't do additional dumb things like recall Ashwin/Jadeja.

 

[Pratters]

My only hope from MSD being dropped is still a fair bit of time is left. If he has a bad IPL and one of the two prime candidates has a terrific IPL, things can change. A lot can happen over this period of time.

 

[Borges]

There is no 'road'. When the time comes, you just select the team that is most likely to perform best in the tournament.

Before that, you may want to experiment a bit, so that you have more options; which people may want to call 'the road'.

 

[ankitj]

Dhoni needs to retire in time. This will be my starting XI:

Rohit Sharma
Shikhar Dhawan
Virat Kohli (c)
KL Rahul
Suresh Raina
Dinesh Karthik (+)
Hardik Pandya
Bhuvaneshvar Kumar
Kuldeep Yadav
Jasprit Bumrah
Yuzvendra Chahal

In reserves: Rahane, Jadhav, Shami, Umesh and may be Pandey

 

[Shri]

Dhoni still helps with tactics in the limited overs games, doesn't he? Just use him as a pinch hitter and keep him in the side imo. Drop him if he doesn't slog and wastes balls.

 

[harsh.ag]

He has to drop himself. Which he obviously won't do because he seems to not care that he sucks with the bat.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Dhoni still helps with tactics in the limited overs games, doesn't he? Just use him as a pinch hitter and keep him in the side imo. Drop him if he doesn't slog and wastes balls.

Wouldn't that be the worst possible role for him?

He's got to go for us to have a chance imo. He's been largely crap for a long time now. Need to make Rahul a regular in the team asap.

 

[ankitj]

Dhoni still helps with tactics in the limited overs games, doesn't he? Just use him as a pinch hitter and keep him in the side imo. Drop him if he doesn't slog and wastes balls.

Using him as pinch hitter will be worst use. He has not been that even in his best years. If he is playing, he should bat at #4.

 

[weldone]

My team will be:

KL
Shikhar
Rohit
Kohli
Dhoni+
Kedar
Pandya
Ashwin
Kuldeep
Shami

 

[Shri]

Became a run machine and batted slower after he got the captaincy. Just make him slog or **** off like he used to bat when he came into the side at first. Probably not going to happen but we need a quick scorer to replace him at least. Forget Karthik, he has his moments but he's not consistent. Get someone in like Pant or Kishan.

 

[ankitj]

No way Ashwin and Jadeja can be in team anymore. They never pick wickets and don't even quite contain batsmen.

 

[weldone]

No way Ashwin and Jadeja can be in team anymore. They never pick wickets and don't even quite contain batsmen.

That's the case currently, yes. But a new Ashwin will emerge from this IPL. World Cup is still far away. Chahal will be exposed.

 

[cnerd123]

If MSD plays he bats at 4. Which means 5/6/7 are the biggest question marks. Hoping recalls for Karthik and Raina solve some issues. Then we've got Pandey, Pandya, Jadhav. It's just about finding a combination that clicks. Maybe let Rahul Jnr have a run at 5 and see how that pans out, Rahane can be backup opener to Dhawan and Nonit.

And I will cry if Ashwin and Jadeja get recalled in place of Chahal and Kuldeep.

 

[harsh.ag]

We keep saying "If MSD plays at 4" like that's gonna happen. It's not gonna happen. He's going to **** India over by playing at 6. All of us should be prepared for that.

 

[weldone]

We keep saying "If MSD plays at 4" like that's gonna happen. It's not gonna happen. He's going to **** India over by playing at 6. All of us should be prepared for that.

He's currently playing at 5.

 

[harsh.ag]

In the past year, he's batted at number five 12 times and number six 14 times, so it's a toss.

 

[Daemon]

Iirc he was doing alright at 5 when he had a bunch of 50 not outs against WI and SL.

 

[ankitj]

If MSD plays he bats at 4. Which means 5/6/7 are the biggest question marks. Hoping recalls for Karthik and Raina solve some issues. Then we've got Pandey, Pandya, Jadhav. It's just about finding a combination that clicks. Maybe let Rahul Jnr have a run at 5 and see how that pans out, Rahane can be backup opener to Dhawan and Nonit.

And I will cry if Ashwin and Jadeja get recalled in place of Chahal and Kuldeep.

Who is Rahul Jr? No place for KL Rahul in your plans? Think we have delayed inducting him in senior team already.

 

[ankitj]

That's the case currently, yes. But a new Ashwin will emerge from this IPL. World Cup is still far away. Chahal will be exposed.

Fair chance of that actually. I expect Kuldeep to have a much better run than Chahal.