World Cup 2019: 5 Players who can pose a threat to Team India in the tournament

Without any contention, the taste of success always remains insipid. There is a competition in every aspect of life, whether it is just a small game or a tournament as big as the upcoming ICC World Cup. Nine teams stand firm between the Men in Blue and their 3rd title. And each one of them has certain reasons to claim their right over that coveted trophy.

Every team has a certain player, who remains their X-factor and trump card. For India, it is their top order backed up by a strong bowling attack. There are such players in other teams as well, and many of these have been a matter of headache for the oppositions.

Here we bring you five such players who can pose a threat to Team India in World Cup:

1. Usman Khawaja (Australia)

If we take a look at the recent past, Australia turned the things around dramatically against India and Pakistan in Asian conditions. This was the first time India tasted a home series defeat under Virat Kohli. Though it was a team effort, the protagonist behind this epic comeback was Usman Khawaja. With 383 runs in 5 matches, he powered his team to win the series 3-2 after trailing 0-2.

Well, it is clear that the southpaw enjoys batting against India. He has scored 3 half-centuries and 2 centuries against them. Even the best of the Indian bowlers have looked clueless against him. Virat Kohli will quickly need to find a way out to get the rid of him otherwise he can prove to be a speed breaker in India’s dream of winning the WC. India face Australia on June 9 in the mega event and a lot would depend on how quickly the Indian bowlers send back Khawaja.

2. Joe Root

The last time India toured England, Joe Root made it a forgettable journey for the tourists. In the ODI series, he smashed 226 runs in 3 innings, and this included 2 match-winning centuries. After losing the first of the three-match series, England defeated India 2-1, thanks to an exceptional effort from their number three.

That was not the first time when India looked helpless against him. Root has a total of 684 runs in 17 innings, which includes 3 half centuries and as many three-digit scores. England relies heavily on Root to bat with a calm head from one end and England’s Test captain could turn out to be a big threat for Team India in the showpiece event.

3. Rashid Khan

It has been more than 3 years since Rashid Khan made his debut, but his mystery is still unsolved. He has troubled every batsman with his variations, and his pacy deliveries further contribute to the misery of the batsmen. Although he hasn’t enjoyed much success in IPL 2019, he will certainly be a thorn in India’s flesh at the World Cup.

Rashid has troubled every Indian batsman in the IPL. His main scalps include Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya. Therefore, it is essential that Indian batsman find a way out to tackle him. Even during the Asia Cup clash last year, he had bowled beautifully and his ten overs will be crucial during the World Cup clash which is to be played on June 22.

4. Kagiso Rabada

Kagiso Rabada has come up all the way to emerge as one of the best bowlers in the world. Not to anyone’s surprise, he has scalped 19 of India’s batsmen in the span of 11 matches. And nine of these scalps have been of their top three batsmen. He has dismissed Rohit four times besides troubling Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli as well.

He has troubled every batsman with his swing, slower ones and other variations. Therefore, India needs to find a way to counter him. He will be the X-factor for South Africa in the mega-event, and if India manage to avoid him giving him early wickets, they are likely to start their World Cup campaign on a victorious note.

5. Babar Azam

India has defeated Pakistan every time the two teams have faced each other in the World Cup. And Babar Azam is probably the only player who can change this history. The kind of form that he has enjoyed over the past few months has been really alarming for other teams.

He has scored 110 runs in 4 matches against India. Although this isn’t sufficient data to prove how he will fare against the team, he can outclass any opposition on his day. Therefore, India will need to stay well-prepared to counter him. The arch-rivals will face each other on June 16 in the event and Babar Azam seems to be a threat to Team India batting at number three.

Get the latest Cricket News and updates from the World Cup 2019, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.

~Written by Ayuj Aryan