Like the other selectors, the selectors of the Indian national cricket team are also in the final mode for the World Cup squad selection. Meanwhile, the Indian cricketers are currently busy in the ongoing IPL 2019. Though the senior members of the national team believe that the IPL performances are likely not to put any effect in World Cup squad selection, the former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has the opposite opinion.
England and Wales are ready to host the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. It will be the 12th edition of the tournament that will be played from 30th May to 14th July. A total of ten teams will participate in this competition, including the two-time World Cup winners India.
India will begin their World Cup journey on 5th June when they will face South Africa at Southampton.
New Zealand has already announced their 15-man World Cup squad, and the other sides will announce their squads very soon. While the deadline for teams to announce their squads for the World Cup is on 23rd April, the Indian selectors have decided to announce the squad on or before 20th April.
At present, the Indian cricketers are busy in IPL 2019. Though the tournament provides the final preparation for the Indian cricketers, the senior national cricketers don’t believe its effectiveness for the World Cup squad selection.
The Indian skipper Virat Kohli and the limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma both believe that the T20 performances can’t determine the abilities to play in the 50-over cricket.
If somebody has a great IPL season, it will be hard to ignore him – Sanjay Manjrekar
However, Sanjay Manjrekar doesn’t believe the same thing. He feels that it will be hard to ignore IPL performances.
Though most of the spots of the national team have already been settled, the Indian selectors still have some headache. The Indian team management is still searching the proper player for the no.4 batting position.
Currently, there are many options for the no.4 batting position. Some of those names are Ambati Rayudu, Vijay Shankar, Ajinkya Rahane, Dinesh Karthik and Manish Pandey. Sanjay Manjrekar believes that their IPL performances can put the crucial effect in the World Cup squad selection.
He recently told Reuters, “They have maintained that they won’t look at IPL but it’s going to be very hard. There are some borderline cases, like if they are looking at Dinesh Karthik, Ambati Rayudu and Vijay Shankar or a Manish Pandey or an Ajinkya Rahane. So all these people are there and thereabout.
“And if somebody has a great IPL season, it will be hard to ignore him, but they (selectors) should not actually get too carried away with what happens in the IPL.”
In the middle of IPL 2019, the Indian selectors will announce the World Cup squad. After the completion of IPL 2019 (middle of May), the Indian cricketers will be busy for the World Cup.