Sanjay Manjrekar picks India’s squad for World Cup 2019, names surprise omission

Sanjay Manjrekar continued to support KL Rahul and named him as back-up for the regulars Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan.

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar named his World Cup 2019 squad for India and the 15-member team had a surprising omission in the form of Ambati Rayudu. Manjrekar also picked three all-rounders - Ravindra Jadeja, Vijay Shankar and Kedar Jadhav - to straighten the side in the upcoming competition.

Ambati Rayudu (C) reacts as teammate Vijay Shankar (back L) walks from the pitch.(AFP)

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.

READ: Delhi ODI opportunity for Virat Kohli & Co to create history

When it comes to the openers, Manjrekar continued to support KL Rahul and named him as back-up for the regulars Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. In the bowling department, he went with three pace options - Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami - and two spinners in Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav.

India take on Australia in the fifth ODI encounter in New Delhi on Wednesday. With the series tied at 2-2, the match is extremely important for Virat Kohli & Co and it will also be their last ODI before the World Cup 2019.

Sanjay Manjrekar’s squad for World Cup 2019: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Vijay Shankar, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul.