Rayudu, Pant and Saini will be standbys for India at the 2019 World Cup
Young wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant, veteran batsman Ambati Rayudu and speedster Navdeep Saini are India's designated standbys for the ICC World Cup starting in the UK on May 30. With the ICC having done away with the probables list, the BCCI does have the provision of including anyone apart from these three but it is unlikely to happen.
"Just like ICC Champions Trophy, we have three standbys. Rishabh Pant and Ambati Rayudu are the first and second standbys while Saini is the bowler in the list. So if anyone gets injured, as per requirement, one of the three will be going," a senior BCCI official told PTI on Wednesday.
While Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan and Deepak Chahar will be travelling with the team purely as net bowlers, they can also be drafted in if the team management feels so. Saini too is among the reserves travelling with the team.
"Khaleel, Avesh and Deepak are not designated stand bys. In the case of bowlers, that possibility is there but when it comes purely to batsmen, it will be either Rishabh or Rayudu."
Meanwhile, there will be no Yo-Yo Test in all likelihood for the World Cup-bound players as IPL is going to only end on May 12.
"The players are already in the midst of a gruelling T20 season. Once IPL ends, they will need recovery time. It's not like that there is a gap between two series and you are having a test. If you are tired, the results may vary," the official added.
