Cricket news round-up – 16 April 2019: Dinesh Karthik, Vijay Shankar make the cut for India World Cup squad

India announced their World Cup 2019 squad on Monday, April 15, and the big news was that Dinesh Karthik and Vijay Shankar, the Tamil Nadu duo, made the 15, while Rishabh Pant and Ambati Rayudu were left out.

Elsewhere, RCB returned to losing ways, Aaron Finch said he saw “no issues” with David Warner and Steve Smith returning, and Mohammed Shami opens up on his remarkable return.

Karthik, Shankar in, Pant, Rayudu out

India announced their 15-man squad for the World Cup 2019 on Monday, April 15, with the inclusions of Dinesh Karthik and Vijay Shankar, at the expense of Rishabh Pant and Ambati Rayudu, the big news.

Karthik edged Pant on his wicket-keeping abilities, according to MSK Prasad, the chief national selector, while Vijay Shankar is, at the moment, the prime candidate for the crucial No.4 spot, even though he has never batted higher than No.5 for India so far in his ODI career.

India also decided to include Ravindra Jadeja among the all-rounders, apart from Shankar and Hardik Pandya, and only three specialist pacers have been named – Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, the wrist-spinners, were two of the first names on the list.

Shami cites fitness as reason for remarkable return

Mohammed Shami played just five ODIs between 2015 and 2019, but has been in tremendous form since the turn of the year to earn his place in India’s World Cup 2019 squad. The Bengal paceman has credited that stunning turnaround to fitness work.

“If you have seen in the last 18 months, I have continuously worked on my fitness and have been constantly trying to improve my game, on what will be better for my team. Yes, I was a bit heavy after my injury and didn’t play ODIs for an extended time. But I have played ODIs recently, especially in the last six months there have been some outstanding changes in my life” he said.

RCB go back to losing ways

The hope that sparked after Royal Challengers Bangalore’s victory against Kings XI Punjab earlier was short-lived as they lost their next clash against Mumbai Indians on Monday.

AB de Villiers’ 51-ball 75 and his 95-run stand with Moeen Ali, who scored a well-made 32-ball 50, helped Bangalore post 171/7. They could have had more, but Lasith Malinga was excellent in the death, returning 4/31. Against a Mumbai side that bats deep, that was far from enough.

Quinton de Kock scored a 26-ball 40 and solid contributions from the rest of the line-up, including Hardik Pandya’s 16-ball 37*, was enough for Mumbai to earn their fifth victory of the campaign.

They moved up to No.3 in the points table. Bangalore remain rooted to the bottom.

Finch happy to have Warner, Smith back

Aaron Finch, the Australia limited-overs captain, said he doesn’t foresee “any issues” with the reintegration of David Warner and Steve Smith into the much-changed Australian set up. The duo were recalled to the Australia squad for the World Cup 2019, for the first time since they were handed 12-month bans for the ball-tampering scandal last year.

Since then, Australia have underwent a cultural overhaul in they way they go about matters on and off the field, as well as the dynamics in the dressing room. And Finch doesn’t think the returns of Smith and Warner will cause any friction.

“As far as I’m concerned, they’ve done everything they’ve been asked [to] in these last 12 months,” Finch said. “They were very good around the group and continuing to do everything they can that’s in the best interests of the side, and that’s a real key.

“Knowing them both personally as well as I do, I don’t think that will be any kind of issue whatsoever. They’re both great guys and I can’t see there being any kinds of issues.”