#WorldCup15

15 Players selected for world cup 2015:

MS Dhoni (c)
Shikhar Dhawan
Rohit Sharma
Ajinkya Rahane
Virat Kohli
Suresh Raina
Ambati Rayudu
Ravindra Jadeja
R Ashwin
Axar Patel
Stuart Binny
Ishant Sharma
Umesh Yadav
Mohammad Shami
Bhuvaneshwar Kumar

Now let me analyze each one of them.

MS Dhoni

The captain of the ship. He has played a big role in selecting the team for world cup but he has even bigger role to play as a wicket keeper batsman in the world cup. He has shown no respect for the seniors. Now he has to prove that he has done the right thing by ignoring the seniors. Only way he can prove that is by defending the world cup successfully.

Shikhar Dhawan

Dhawan's form in the test series in Australia has not been upto the mark but his ODI form is at its peak. He performed really well in the home series against West Indies and Sri Lanka. He is struggling on the bouncy pitches of Australia and everyone has started raising questions on technique but I think he is much better player when it comes to the shorter version of the game. I think he will perform awesomely well in the upcoming world cup.

Rohit Sharma

I have said it lot of times and I am saying it again that you can bowl your best bowler against Rohit Sharma but you can't get his wicket until he is not willing to give you. Rohit Sharma is my first preference as far as opening is concerned. If I am the skipper of Indian team then I would open the innings with Rohit Sharma and Shikar Dhawan.

Ajinkya Rahane

If anyone has adapted well in Aussie land then that player is Rahane. We have got Laxman in him but in the test team. As far as one day cricket is concerned I think we have much better players or rather better openers than him. So I will keep him as a reserve opener for the world cup.

Virat Kohli

Everything is just going perfect in his life. He has been the best player of the test series and he has become captain of the test side recently. What is it? Lady luck? Whatever it is main thing is that it is working for him and more than that it is working for the team. I thought he will struggle on bouncy Australian pitches but he has learnt a lot from the England tour and worked hard towards it and yes he is the number 3 batsman for me not Rayudu.

Suresh Raina

Raina has been in top form since last IPL. He has been a sensation in limited overs cricket. As the team has been selected he is no. 4 batsman for me. If anyone can fill the boots of Yuvraj at no. 4 then that player is Raina. Raina and Kohli are the backbone of Indian batting. If India wants to defend the world cup then both of them are key to it.

Ambati Rayadu

I would have picked Yuvraj Singh in place of Ambati Rayudu. Rayudu's form has also been good in the home series but he has got those runs at no. 3 which is cemented by Kohli. Moreover he is too inexperienced to be picked and Yuvraj has found form in Ranji trophy recently. So Sandip Patil and team should have picked Yuvraj anytime. Kohli at 3, Yuvraj at 4, Raina at 5 and Dhoni at 6 would have been a lethal combination.

Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja has an important role to play at no. 7 as a batsman and has to go through his overs quickly with some wickets. There are few questions on his fitness but I am sure he will be 100% by the start of world cup.

R Ashwin

Ashwin is a frontline spinner for India and he will be pretty handy on one or two turning tracks but the question is will he be effective on the pitch which has no turn whatsoever. We have seen in the past he has not been able to take wickets on the pitch which is not a turner. So it will be a test for him as a bowler in the world cup but he is handy with the bat as well. Ashwin at no. 8 makes India's batting deep.

Axar Patel

Lot of trust has been shown by selectors on this Nadiad boy and deservingly so he has performed in IPL and in the home series but this is Australia and he is a complete fresher and he will be kept as a reserve most of the world cup. I would have gone for Zaheer Khan in his place as he is completely fit to play and current bowlers has shown no hope in the test series. India need the experience of Zaheer in the world cup but selectors has ignored all the seniors for the tournament like world cup. Strange.

Stuart Binny

Selectors have picked Binny as another all-rounder. When you have Jadeja and Ashwin in the team where would you keep Binny in the batting order. I would have gone for Robin Uthappa as he has been really good with the bat for KKR in IPL and CLT20. I would have kept him as a reserve for Dhawan as an opener and he can keep wickets as well so a reserve wicketkeeper too.

Ishant Sharma

Ishant Sharma is most experienced of the pack and was considered as a spearhead for this tour of India but he has been so so in the test series. His short ball has not worked in Australia so far. As far as ODI cricket is concerned we know how easy it is for batsman to get quick runs off him. It is a big worry for India.

Umesh Yadav

Umesh Yadav has been picked up for his pace and he was spot on in India but noone knows what has happened to him in Australia. His pace is a normal thing in Australia and he has been pretty ordinary so far as he concentrating only on pace. He needs to work on his line as well and that too quickly.

Mohammad Shami

I feel Shami is the only hope as far as the Indian fast bowling is concerned in this world cup. He was the highest wicket taker in 2014 & he is the only Indian bowler so far to take 5-wicket haul in this test series. He knows to bowl yorkers in the death overs and swings the new ball pretty well. So he is the complete package.

Bhuvaneshwar Kumar

India has lots of hopes from his swing but at the moment his fitness is swinging. He was struggling in the first innings of the fourth test and was bowling at 106-110 kmph. Now the big question is that will he be fit for the world cup? His fitness matters a lot for the team as he will take one of the two new balls and has ability to swing it both ways. Moreover he will not only ball well but can also hit the ball long way when needed.

Frankly speaking I don't think this team can defend the world cup. Experts are saying that best players available has been picked but I don't think so. This is not the best team. I will watch the world cup without any hopes from India. My prediction is that this Indian team will not go beyond quater-finals. India is highly depending on Dhoni's luck. I wish the team all the best if India defends the world cup it will be a great prize for the whole nation.