WILL SELECT 20-25 PLAYERS WHO WILL FORM WORLD CUP CORE GROUP: SKIPPER

COLOMBO: Kohli has his eyes fixed on the World Cup in England and the Indian captain wants to “address” the selection issue in a transparent manner selecting “a bunch of 20-25 players”, who will form the core group going into the marquee event in 2019. Kohli will be facing some happy selection dilemmas with senior bowlers Umesh Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami all available for selection for the upcoming limited overs segment in India. The junior spinners like Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav have done more than well in 5-0 ‘Whitewash’ against Sri Lanka.

ond highest run-maker in the series with 302 runs, and former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni are both back in the top 10. Sharma, who struck two centuries in Sri Lanka, has gained five slots to reach ninth place while Dhoni’s 162 runs have lifted him two places to 10th position. Bumrah has moved to a career-best fourth position in the bowlers’ rankings. The 23-year-old, whose previous best was 24th position in June this year, has moved up the table with his player of the

series effort of 15 wickets, the best by any bowler in a bilateral ODI series in Sri Lanka.

His performances included a career-best five for 27 in the third ODI at Palekelle.

Also gaining in the rankings is India s left-arm spinner Akshar Patel, who has moved up from 20th to 10th position after finishing with six wickets in four matches. Patel has thus closed in on his career-high rank of ninth in October last year. Hardik Pandya (up two places to 61st), Kuldeep Yadav (up 21 places to 89th) and Yuzvendra Chahal (up 55 places to 99th) are other India bowlers to gain in the rankings.

In the team rankings, Sri Lanka have been unable to seal a direct qualification place in the 2019 World Cup 2019, which they could have done by winning two matches in the series.

Though they are in a strong position to make the grade, the Windies can overtake them by beating Ireland in an upcoming match on September 13 and winning either all five matches against England or the last four matches for a 4-1 win in the series from September 19-29.

The top seven One Day International sides apart from host England as on 30 September qualify directly. Teams not getting direct places will get another shot through a Qualifying tournament. India remain in third position but have gained three points to close in on Australia, which is also on 117 points but remains ahead on decimal points.