Indian team for ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 to be announced on April 15

The Indian team for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 will be announced on April 15 at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai. According to the ICC playing conditions, under the new Members Playing Agreement (MPA) which came into effect since 2016, the teams need to submit their final 15-man squad lists for the WC a month prior to the event. According to various media reports, the selection of the Indian cricket team was earlier supposed to happen on April 20. After India had lost the five-match ODI series against Australia, Indian skipper Virat Kohli had said he was clear on his team combination for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.

India's chief selector MSK Prasad had quoted, “As far as Indian cricket team is concerned, we will be announcing our team for the World Cup on or before April 20. I am confident that we are going to announce a good team. We have worked on this for almost one and a half years. We have observed all the players, tested good combinations. We are confident that the team we will announce, will definitely win the World Cup to be held in England in 2019,” Prasad said.

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“We are not going to give the excuse that we lost the games because we tried out players. As a side, combination wise, we are sorted. Condition-based, there is one maximum change in the World Cup. We are clear on the playing XI for World Cup. We have to focus on the decisions that resulted in our loss. Hardik Pandya's return balances the batting and the bowling. We know where we are going to the World Cup as a combination. We have to take better decisions in pressure situations. There is no confusion relating to combination or the playing XI,” Kohli said.

India will begin their World Cup campaign against South Africa on June 5 in Southampton but all eyes will be on the June 16 encounter against arch-rivals, Pakistan. Since the Pulwama terror attack which killed 40 CRPF jawans, there have been calls to boycott the match against Pakistan as protests against the terror activities of Pakistan.

HIGHLIGHTS

• India will open their World Cup campaign against South Africa on June 5.
• India will play Pakistan on June 16 in Manchester.
• India lost the recent five-match ODI series against Australia 2-3.