Here's a recap of how each of the 15 Indian cricketers named on Tuesday by the BCCI selection committee for the 2015 ICC World Cup has fared over the last 12 months in ODI cricket.
Shikhar Dhawan: M 18 I 18 Runs 815 Ave 47.94 SR 86.51 100 1 50 6
Shikhar Dhawan: M 18 I 18 Runs 815 Ave 47.94 SR 86.51 100 1 50 6
Life wasn't as rosy for the left-hand opener in 2014 as it was in 2013, when he made a stunning return to the side with centuries in first two ODIs. Too many middling scores and aborted starts show how Dhawan has struggled to dominate, while a batting average of 33.71 outside of Asia and 57.90 in the continent clearly shows. In eight ODIs across New Zealand and England, Dhawan made one half-century. He did locate some touch in his most recent ODI series, with scores of 113, 79 and 91 versus Sri Lanka at home in November, and that looks to have sealed Dhawan a ticket to his first World Cup.
Rohit Sharma: M 12 I 12 Runs 578 Ave 52.54 SR 94.29 100 1 50 3
An average and strike-rate bloated by one innings - 264 off 173 balls against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens. That record ODI innings also makes up for roughly 45% of Rohit's runs the past year. That aside, he made three centuries in Hamilton, Dhaka and Cardiff in each of his away tours. Like Dhawan, he had a sequence of pretty 20s and 30s. Like Dhawan, this is Rohit's first World Cup.
Virat Kohli: M 21 I 20 Runs 1054 Ave 58.55 SR 99.62 100 5 50 5
India's No 3 and best batsman in ODI cricket was, as expected, very solid over the last 12 months. He started 2014 with 123 off 111 balls in Napier and took two more fifties off New Zealand's attack. During the Asia Cup, Kohli collected another century. His form dipped during a rough tour of England, but Kohli bounced back at home with a run of scores that read 62, 127, 22, 49, 53, 66 and 139* against West Indies and Sri Lanka. This is his second World Cup.
Suresh Raina: M 17 I 16 Runs 539 Ave 38.50 SR 114.68 100 1 50 3
Dropped from the playing XI midway during the five ODIs in New Zealand and then overlooked for the Asia Cup, Raina returned for the three-ODI tour of Bangladesh, that too as captain. After three low-key scores, he made a match-winning 100 off 75 balls in the first ODI against England in Cardiff. He was then Man of the Series in India's 3-1 triumph. At home, Raina followed up a duck with three consecutive fifties - 62 and 71 against West Indies and 52 off 34 balls versus Sri Lanka. His ability to score quickly in the middle order - note his 2014 strike-rate - and bowl a lot of overs of spin makes Raina a key player at his second World Cup.
Ajinkya Rahane: M 24 I 24 Runs 768 Ave 32 SR 81.26 100 2 50 4
The Mumbai batsman's first full year of ODI cricket produced average returns statistically, but success in patches and his ability to bat as a floater earned Rahane a maiden World Cup spot. He struggled in New Zealand, averaging 10.20 from five innings, but good touch in the Asia Cup and then a good patch in England, where he achieved his maiden ODI century, ensured Rahane was persisted with all year. A second century against Sri Lanka at home masked over a tendency to throw away starts. On 11 occasions Rahane crossed 25 but he could only convert six into meaningful results.
Ambati Rayudu: M 20 I 18 Runs 584 Ave 44.92 SR 80.33 100 1 50 4
Like Rahane, the last 12 months saw Rayudu feature regularly in ODIs. His first 14 innings of 2014 yielded just three fifties and six dismissals under 30, but in his 15th the Hyderabad turned Baroda batsman boosted his World Cup chances with a maiden century to seal six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad. Rayudu added 35, 8 and 59 to the remainder of his series, making good use of the rare opportunity to bat in the top order. This is his first World Cup.
MS Dhoni: M 12 I 10 Runs 418 Ave 52.25 SR 92.07 50 5
Dhoni was his usual busy self in 2014, all too often injecting late runs into Indian totals. His start to the year was an active one - 40, 56, 50, 79*, 47 and 52 - and he added a fifth century (51* off 40 balls) against West Indies before he was rested owing to a heavy workload. This will be Dhoni's third World Cup, second as captain after a glorious 2011.
R Ashwin: M 17 Wkts 23 BBI 3/31 Ave 33.39 Econ 4.74 SR 42.2
A tidy 12 months for Ashwin overall, with success in India, Bangladesh and England helping mask unflattering returns in five ODIs in New Zealand (just one wicket). Ashwin did well in the Asia Cup with 10 wickets in four games and then managed seven in four ODIs in England. India's No 1 spinner faced competition from young Axar Patel but held his own all year. This will be Ashwin's second World Cup.
Ravindra Jadeja: M 17 I 14 Runs 369 Ave 61.50 SR 110.14 Wkts 25 BBI 4/28 Ave 32.68 Econ 5.10 SR 38.4
Jadeja was steady with his left-arm spin over the last one year, after an impressive 2013. He was more successful in Asia, as 14 wickets at 28.85 show, but he did play a part in India's ODI series win in England with seven wickets. His batting was very handy in the lower middle order, and on the four occasions Jadeja crossed 50 his strike-rate was in excess of 100. As always, he was a livewire in the field.
Axar Patel: M 9 Wkts 14 BBI 3/40 Ave 20.28 Econ 4.49 SR 27
The Gujarat left-arm spinner, 20, has featured in nine ODIs since he debuted in Bangladesh in June, taking 14 wickets at an average of 20.28 and economy rate of 4.49. Under Virat Kohli's leadership in the home ODIs against Sri Lanka not long ago, Axar played in all five fixtures while Ravindra Jadeja got just one ODI, and was particularly successful during the Powerplay overs. That, and his ability as a lower-order batsman, make him a valuable asset to India's defence of the World Cup title.
Stuart Binny: M 6 I 5 Runs 40 Ave 13.33 SR 63.49 Wkts 9 Ave 13 Econ 4.55 SR 17.1
The 30-year-old, like Axar, won his maiden India cap in 2014 and has played in six ODIs so far - his major achievement being exemplary figures of 6 for 4 in an ODI against Bangladesh, beating Anil Kumble's previous best of 6 for 12. Binny has yet to wholly convince as a batsman in ODIs, with a best of 25 not out in four innings, and for him to come into the final 15 means it will be as one of eight batsmen. Went wicketless in his debut series in New Zealand and took three in two against Sri Lanka in November.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: M 16 Wkts 14 BBI 2/14 Ave 45.35 Econ 4.62 SR 58.8
Bhuvneshwar, 24, did not take a lot of wickets in the past year but his sustained ability to keep runs in control (check the economy rate) was enough to convince the selectors that, despite not playing any cricket since mid-October owing to injury, he should get a maiden World Cup chance. Critically, it would have been his success in England (economy rate 4.32, strike-rate 37.2) that helped convinced the selectors.
Mohammed Shami: M 16 Wkts 38 BBI 4/36 Ave 22.94 Econ 6.16 SR 22.3
The joint highest wicket-taker in ODIs last year with Ajantha Mendis, Shami was potent and expensive. His consistency can be highlighted by the fact that he only went wicketless once in 16 matches, yet equally consistent was his ability to concede a lot of runs: seven times he went for more than 60 in a game, twice of which were in excess of 80. Shari's success included four four-wicket hauls - once in Napier and two back-to-back at home against West Indies. He will need to control his tendency to slip onto the batsman's pads during his first World Cup.
Umesh Yadav: M 10 Wkts 17 BBI 4/53 Ave 22.41 Econ 5.34 SR 25.1
Umesh, 27, got an ODI recall in Bangladesh and did well with a three-wicket haul, but then had to wait until West Indies arrived in October to see regular playing time. He was consistent in six ODIs at home thereon, taking at least two wickets in each game. His pace was good but he had a tendency to over-step, something which Umesh will need to work on at his maiden World Cup.
Ishant Sharma: M 5 Wkts 6 BBI 4/34 Ave 37.33 Econ 6.05 SR 37
Ishant was dropped during the New Zealand ODIs and returned as a replacement for the injured Mohit Sharma during the Sri Lanka series, and promptly impressed with a career-best 4 for 34. Did not take a wicket in his next two games. This is his first World Cup inclusion.
Source:http://www.gocricket.com
