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Amidst the buzz surrounding the emergence of promising talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal, who showcased stellar performances in the West Indies series, discussions have ignited about their potential inclusion in India's World Cup squad.
However, amidst this debate, the veteran insights of Mohammad Kaif bring a valuable perspective to the forefront. He highlighted the impending return of established stars like Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul, suggesting that even cricketers of Mohammed Siraj's caliber could face an uphill battle to secure a spot in the squad.
"Shreyas Iyer is injured, KL Rahul is recovering. I hope they will all return to the side (in time for the World Cup). So all this talk about new players coming into the side (for the World Cup), they will not get a chance in the team. Your (Team India's) XI is all set," averred Kaif.
"Iyer, when he returns, will play at No. 4. You have Shubman Gill and skipper Rohit Sharma (as openers), at No. 3 you have Virat Kohli, at No. 4 you have (Shreyas) Iyer, at No. 5 you have KL Rahul."
"Hardik Pandya at 6, (Ravindra) Jadeja at No.7, Axar Patel or Shardul Thakur will play at No.8 depending on the condition (of the pitch). At No.9, you will have Kuldeep Yadav... he has a good ODI record, and and at No. 10 and 11 you will have the two fast bowlers Mohammed Shami and Bumrah."
"Even Siraj might not find a place in the XI. So, when it will be difficult to accommodate Siraj, then the new players we are talking about, they might not get the opportunity in this World Cup," said Kaif.
Kaif added that his logic was based on the fact that seniors will get the first opportunity to be in the squad and players like Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav will get a look-in ahead of some new faces.
"If at all there will be someone in the squad, it would be Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav because they have been playing for many years."
"The new faces people are talking about are only for this (West Indies) tour. When the Asia Cup and the World Cup are played, then only the senior-most players will play."