India&#8217;s <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2019-bcb-to-call-back-shakib-al-hasan-for-world-cup-preparations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Cup</strong></a> squad has been announced and in many ways, this is the strongest Indian limited overs squad in a long time now. This squad presents a perfect blend of experience with youth and not to forget, the balance that it shows on the paper. Virat Kohli will lead the 15-man squad and Rohit Sharma will be the vice-captain of the team.

India has gone ahead with 5 batsmen, 2 wicket-keepers, 3 all-rounders and 5 bowlers. It is clear that the selection has been done with an entirely different thought-process and not just based on current form. The likes of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2019-bhuvneshwar-kumar-not-really-worried-about-his-poor-form-of-late/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bhuvneshwar Kumar</strong> </a>and Kuldeep Yadav certainly suggest that IPL performances haven&#8217;t played any role whatsoever. With a squad so good, there are, however, 3 weak links which could prove to be the difference between India and the World Cup title. Let&#8217;s have a look at them.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-312404" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Vijay-Shankar.jpg" alt="Vijay Shankar" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-312404" class="wp-caption-text">Vijay Shankar. (Photo by Kerry Marshall/Getty Images)</figcaption>

The fluent stroke-making batting all-rounder&#8217;s selection did raise a few eyebrows even though his performances for India in recent times have been good. No doubt, Vijay Shankar is a quality player but he has zero experience in <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/england-cricketer-dawid-malan-picks-his-all-time-xi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>English</strong></a> conditions and that is something that the opposition might look to exploit. Shankar mainly plays in the V so anything outside off would mean trouble for him. Having a straight-bat technique is good for Indian conditions but to succeed in English conditions, one has to play square of the wicket, owing to smaller boundaries and help from the wind.

Vijay Shankar has been picked as India&#8217;s number 4 batsman but he hasn&#8217;t been tested enough, especially in cases of a top-order collapse. Let&#8217;s say that India are 2 down inside the first 2 overs. What happens then? An inexperienced Shankar walks in with absolutely no experience in English conditions. While it is a gamble worth taking in Shankar, the opposition will be wary of the 28-year-old&#8217;s inexperience and will look to exploit it.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-263955" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Bhuvneshwar-Kumar.jpg" alt="Bhuvneshwar Kumar" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-263955" class="wp-caption-text">Bhuvneshwar Kumar of India. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)</figcaption>

Picked as the 3rd seamer, Bhuvi certainly has a lot to prove owing to the fact that he hasn&#8217;t been in great form off-late, failing miserably in the death-overs, an area he specialises in. While Bhuvneshwar&#8217;s swing is still potent enough to trouble even the best of the batsman, it&#8217;s his death-bowling that has gone for a toss in recent times.

The 29-year-old does have loads of experience with him but his confidence has taken a hit in recent times owing to injuries and lack of rhythm. WC inclusion should come as welcome news for the medium-pacer and it will do his confidence a world of good which should hold him in good stead in the future. But for the time being, Bhuvneshwar will most likely warm the bench and will play the role of a back-up seamer to the likes of Bumrah and Shami.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-308164" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Hardik-Pandya-2.jpg" alt="Hardik Pandya" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-308164" class="wp-caption-text">Hardik Pandya. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)</figcaption>

While it&#8217;s safe to admit that Hardik is the number one seaming all-rounder at the moment, it&#8217;s his inconsistency in both batting and bowling that makes him the weakest link in this WC squad. With Shankar and Bhuvi one can safely assume that if they click, they will deliver on a consistent basis more often than not but that&#8217;s not the case with Pandya. With all due respect, Pandya shows signs of consistency rather than being consistent and that is something that might hurt India&#8217;s <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/icc-world-cup-2019-sanjay-manjrekar-calls-dinesh-karthiks-inclusion-surprising/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Cup</strong></a> campaign.

India&#8217;s finishing duties more or less rest on Pandya apart from Dhoni and if Dhoni has to deliver, he needs to get adequate support from Pandya. While the 25-year-old&#8217;s bowling in the middle-overs is average, it&#8217;s his bowling in the powerplay that is a worrisome factor for the Indian team. Erratic lines and lengths with the new-ball off Pandya&#8217;s hand are not uncommon and his inconsistency makes him a vulnerable bowler after whom the batsmen can go after.

<strong>Get the latest Cricket News and updates from the Indian Premier League (IPL), <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-match-predictions/">Match Predictions</a>, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/fantasy-cricket-tips/">Fantasy Cricket Tips </a>and lots more on <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/">CricTracker.com</a>.</strong>

<p>India’s <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2019-bcb-to-call-back-shakib-al-hasan-for-world-cup-preparations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Cup</strong></a> squad has been announced and in many ways, this is the strongest Indian limited overs squad in a long time now. This squad presents a perfect blend of experience with youth and not to forget, the balance that it shows on the paper. Virat Kohli will lead the 15-man squad and Rohit Sharma will be the vice-captain of the team.</p>
<p>India has gone ahead with 5 batsmen, 2 wicket-keepers, 3 all-rounders and 5 bowlers. It is clear that the selection has been done with an entirely different thought-process and not just based on current form. The likes of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2019-bhuvneshwar-kumar-not-really-worried-about-his-poor-form-of-late/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bhuvneshwar Kumar</strong> </a>and Kuldeep Yadav certainly suggest that IPL performances haven’t played any role whatsoever. With a squad so good, there are, however, 3 weak links which could prove to be the difference between India and the World Cup title. Let’s have a look at them.</p>
<h3>Vijay Shankar</h3>
<figure id="attachment_312404" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-312404" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-312404" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Vijay-Shankar.jpg" alt="Vijay Shankar" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-312404" class="wp-caption-text">Vijay Shankar. (Photo by Kerry Marshall/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The fluent stroke-making batting all-rounder’s selection did raise a few eyebrows even though his performances for India in recent times have been good. No doubt, Vijay Shankar is a quality player but he has zero experience in <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/england-cricketer-dawid-malan-picks-his-all-time-xi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>English</strong></a> conditions and that is something that the opposition might look to exploit. Shankar mainly plays in the V so anything outside off would mean trouble for him. Having a straight-bat technique is good for Indian conditions but to succeed in English conditions, one has to play square of the wicket, owing to smaller boundaries and help from the wind.</p>
<p>Vijay Shankar has been picked as India’s number 4 batsman but he hasn’t been tested enough, especially in cases of a top-order collapse. Let’s say that India are 2 down inside the first 2 overs. What happens then? An inexperienced Shankar walks in with absolutely no experience in English conditions. While it is a gamble worth taking in Shankar, the opposition will be wary of the 28-year-old’s inexperience and will look to exploit it.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>Bhuvneshwar Kumar</h3>
<figure id="attachment_263955" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-263955" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-263955" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Bhuvneshwar-Kumar.jpg" alt="Bhuvneshwar Kumar" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-263955" class="wp-caption-text">Bhuvneshwar Kumar of India. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Picked as the 3rd seamer, Bhuvi certainly has a lot to prove owing to the fact that he hasn’t been in great form off-late, failing miserably in the death-overs, an area he specialises in. While Bhuvneshwar’s swing is still potent enough to trouble even the best of the batsman, it’s his death-bowling that has gone for a toss in recent times.</p>
<p>The 29-year-old does have loads of experience with him but his confidence has taken a hit in recent times owing to injuries and lack of rhythm. WC inclusion should come as welcome news for the medium-pacer and it will do his confidence a world of good which should hold him in good stead in the future. But for the time being, Bhuvneshwar will most likely warm the bench and will play the role of a back-up seamer to the likes of Bumrah and Shami.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>Hardik Pandya</h3>
<figure id="attachment_308164" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-308164" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-308164" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Hardik-Pandya-2.jpg" alt="Hardik Pandya" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-308164" class="wp-caption-text">Hardik Pandya. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>While it’s safe to admit that Hardik is the number one seaming all-rounder at the moment, it’s his inconsistency in both batting and bowling that makes him the weakest link in this WC squad. With Shankar and Bhuvi one can safely assume that if they click, they will deliver on a consistent basis more often than not but that’s not the case with Pandya. With all due respect, Pandya shows signs of consistency rather than being consistent and that is something that might hurt India’s <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/icc-world-cup-2019-sanjay-manjrekar-calls-dinesh-karthiks-inclusion-surprising/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Cup</strong></a> campaign.</p>
<p>India’s finishing duties more or less rest on Pandya apart from Dhoni and if Dhoni has to deliver, he needs to get adequate support from Pandya. While the 25-year-old’s bowling in the middle-overs is average, it’s his bowling in the powerplay that is a worrisome factor for the Indian team. Erratic lines and lengths with the new-ball off Pandya’s hand are not uncommon and his inconsistency makes him a vulnerable bowler after whom the batsmen can go after.</p>
<h4><strong>Get the latest&nbsp;Cricket News&nbsp;and updates from the&nbsp;Indian Premier League (IPL),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-match-predictions/">Match Predictions</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/fantasy-cricket-tips/">Fantasy Cricket Tips&nbsp;</a>and lots more on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/">CricTracker.com</a>.</strong></h4>

<p>India&#8217;s <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2019-bcb-to-call-back-shakib-al-hasan-for-world-cup-preparations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Cup</strong></a> squad has been announced and in many ways, this is the strongest Indian limited overs squad in a long time now. This squad presents a perfect blend of experience with youth and not to forget, the balance that it shows on the paper. Virat Kohli will lead the 15-man squad and Rohit Sharma will be the vice-captain of the team.</p>
<p>India has gone ahead with 5 batsmen, 2 wicket-keepers, 3 all-rounders and 5 bowlers. It is clear that the selection has been done with an entirely different thought-process and not just based on current form. The likes of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2019-bhuvneshwar-kumar-not-really-worried-about-his-poor-form-of-late/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bhuvneshwar Kumar</strong> </a>and Kuldeep Yadav certainly suggest that IPL performances haven&#8217;t played any role whatsoever. With a squad so good, there are, however, 3 weak links which could prove to be the difference between India and the World Cup title. Let&#8217;s have a look at them.</p>
<h3>Vijay Shankar</h3>
<figure id="attachment_312404" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-312404" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-312404" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Vijay-Shankar.jpg" alt="Vijay Shankar" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-312404" class="wp-caption-text">Vijay Shankar. (Photo by Kerry Marshall/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The fluent stroke-making batting all-rounder&#8217;s selection did raise a few eyebrows even though his performances for India in recent times have been good. No doubt, Vijay Shankar is a quality player but he has zero experience in <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/england-cricketer-dawid-malan-picks-his-all-time-xi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>English</strong></a> conditions and that is something that the opposition might look to exploit. Shankar mainly plays in the V so anything outside off would mean trouble for him. Having a straight-bat technique is good for Indian conditions but to succeed in English conditions, one has to play square of the wicket, owing to smaller boundaries and help from the wind.</p>
<p>Vijay Shankar has been picked as India&#8217;s number 4 batsman but he hasn&#8217;t been tested enough, especially in cases of a top-order collapse. Let&#8217;s say that India are 2 down inside the first 2 overs. What happens then? An inexperienced Shankar walks in with absolutely no experience in English conditions. While it is a gamble worth taking in Shankar, the opposition will be wary of the 28-year-old&#8217;s inexperience and will look to exploit it.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>Bhuvneshwar Kumar</h3>
<figure id="attachment_263955" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-263955" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-263955" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Bhuvneshwar-Kumar.jpg" alt="Bhuvneshwar Kumar" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-263955" class="wp-caption-text">Bhuvneshwar Kumar of India. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Picked as the 3rd seamer, Bhuvi certainly has a lot to prove owing to the fact that he hasn&#8217;t been in great form off-late, failing miserably in the death-overs, an area he specialises in. While Bhuvneshwar&#8217;s swing is still potent enough to trouble even the best of the batsman, it&#8217;s his death-bowling that has gone for a toss in recent times.</p>
<p>The 29-year-old does have loads of experience with him but his confidence has taken a hit in recent times owing to injuries and lack of rhythm. WC inclusion should come as welcome news for the medium-pacer and it will do his confidence a world of good which should hold him in good stead in the future. But for the time being, Bhuvneshwar will most likely warm the bench and will play the role of a back-up seamer to the likes of Bumrah and Shami.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>Hardik Pandya</h3>
<figure id="attachment_308164" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-308164" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-308164" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Hardik-Pandya-2.jpg" alt="Hardik Pandya" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-308164" class="wp-caption-text">Hardik Pandya. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>While it&#8217;s safe to admit that Hardik is the number one seaming all-rounder at the moment, it&#8217;s his inconsistency in both batting and bowling that makes him the weakest link in this WC squad. With Shankar and Bhuvi one can safely assume that if they click, they will deliver on a consistent basis more often than not but that&#8217;s not the case with Pandya. With all due respect, Pandya shows signs of consistency rather than being consistent and that is something that might hurt India&#8217;s <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/icc-world-cup-2019-sanjay-manjrekar-calls-dinesh-karthiks-inclusion-surprising/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Cup</strong></a> campaign.</p>
<p>India&#8217;s finishing duties more or less rest on Pandya apart from Dhoni and if Dhoni has to deliver, he needs to get adequate support from Pandya. While the 25-year-old&#8217;s bowling in the middle-overs is average, it&#8217;s his bowling in the powerplay that is a worrisome factor for the Indian team. Erratic lines and lengths with the new-ball off Pandya&#8217;s hand are not uncommon and his inconsistency makes him a vulnerable bowler after whom the batsmen can go after.</p>
<h4><strong>Get the latest Cricket News and updates from the Indian Premier League (IPL), <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-match-predictions/">Match Predictions</a>, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/fantasy-cricket-tips/">Fantasy Cricket Tips </a>and lots more on <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/">CricTracker.com</a>.</strong></h4>

The BCCI announced the 15-man squad today.

ICC World Cup 2019: 3 weak-links in the Indian squad for the tournament

India's World Cup squad has been announced and in many ways, this is the strongest Indian limited overs squad in a long time now. This squad

ICC World Cup 2019: 3 weak-links in the Indian squad for the tournament

The BCCI announced the 15-man squad today.

Hardik Pandya

Get the latest Cricket News and updates from the Indian Premier League (IPL), Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.