After a historic 5-0 clean sweep over Sri Lanka, captain Virat Kohli has revealed India's 2019 World Cup plan for which he has identified a core group of 20 to 25 cricketers.
Last night (September 3), in Colombo, India won the fifth and final ODI of the series to complete a whitewash. Kohli dazzled with the bat with an unbeaten 110, his 30th ton in ODIs.
With less than two years for the World Cup in England, Kohli has hinted at trying different combinations in the home series against Australia and New Zealand.
"The best thing is transparency. We address it and tell them that this is a bunch of 20-25 people who will make the probable for the World Cup (2019) and everyone has an equal opportunity to be tested at different stages," Kohli told reporters after the series in Sri Lanka on Sunday night when asked about player rotations.
"Till the World Cup, we have what 42 matches, 37 now if I am not wrong, so yes we will have to keep trying different players and try the best combinations for us. And we will have to give that combination a long run before we settle into the World Cup," he added.
The 28-year-old Kohli, who was part of India's World Cup winning team in 2011, wants to have an "X factor" in the bowling line-up at the quadrennial showpiece event.
"It's going to be a challenge among all the bowlers and the spinners that are going to be in the part of the bigger group to make it to the 2019 World Cup. We don't want to be predictable in any way and we want to have an X factor if possible with the bowling attack as well," the Delhi right-hander said.
India's next ODI series will be at home, against Australia, starting on September 17 in Chennai.
