Former India skipper Dilip Vengsarkar believes that India should include Ajinkya Rahane in their squad for the World Cup 2019 because of his familiarity with the conditions in England and Wales.
“I feel by ignoring talented and experienced Ajinkya, the Indian think tank is doing grave injustice to him. He is a proven batsman in the English conditions and an outstanding fielder too,” Vengsarkar told Mumbai Mirror.
Ambati Rayudu, who is currently occupying the No. 4 slot, has struggled to score runs in the recent past and a fter a match-winning 90 against New Zealand in the final ODI, Rayudu managed to score only 33 runs in three ODIs against Australia in the ongoing series.
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Vengsarkar believes Rahane, who has played 56 Test matches and 90 ODIs, will be a perfect candidate for the No. 4 slot and he can also become the back-up opener in place of KL Rahul.
“He (Ajinkya) will give the middle order the much-needed solidity besides the option as an opening batsman too as he has the experience of opening and also batting at No 4. Mind you, it’s not a Twenty20 tournament but the 50-over World Cup where building a team total will decide the fate of the teams. We need a total of at least 280 in every game,” said Vengsarkar.
{{/usCountry}}“He (Ajinkya) will give the middle order the much-needed solidity besides the option as an opening batsman too as he has the experience of opening and also batting at No 4. Mind you, it’s not a Twenty20 tournament but the 50-over World Cup where building a team total will decide the fate of the teams. We need a total of at least 280 in every game,” said Vengsarkar.
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