ICC World Cup 2019: BCCI names India’s reserves for the tournament

"Just like ICC Champions Trophy, we have three standbys."

A couple of days ago, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) named the Indian squad for the ICC World Cup in England and Wales. Chief selector MSK Prasad and secretary Amitabh Chaudhary attended a press conference in Mumbai, where the names were revealed. It also put to an end the discussions and analysis surrounding who should make the cut for the mega event.

In the meantime, it has been learned that the board has also named the reserves for the tournament, which is scheduled to start on May 30. A senior official of the world’s richest cricket board mentioned that likes the Champions Trophy, three reserves have been elected and they are Ambati Rayudu, Navdeep Saini and the young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant.

The players are already in the midst of a gruelling T20 season

“Just like ICC Champions Trophy, we have three standbys. Rishabh Pant and Ambati Rayudu are the first and second standbys while Saini is the bowler in the list. So if anyone gets injured, as per requirement, one of the three will be going,” the official was quoted as saying in Hindustan Times.

“Khaleel, Avesh and Deepak are not designated stand bys. In case of bowlers, that possibility is there but when it comes purely to batsmen, it will be either Rishabh or Rayudu.”

“The players are already in the midst of a gruelling T20 season. Once IPL ends, they will need recovery time. It’s not like that there is a gap between two series and you are having a test. If you are tired, the results may vary,” the official added.

Pant and Rayudu have been on the radar of the selectors for quite some time now. As far as Rayudu is concerned, a poor run of form led to his exclusion from the 15-member squad for the World Cup. In Pant’s case, consistency turned out to be an issue, both with the bat and the wicketkeeping gloves.

India are set to play their first match against South Africa on June 5 at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.

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