India plump for Dinesh Karthik as World Cup squad is announced

Rishabh Pant and Ambati Rayudu miss out on selection in the 15-man party charged with trying to win the showcase tournament for a third time

India have confirmed their 15-man squad for the World Cup, with Dinesh Karthik given the nod for the much-debated number four position.

Rishabh Pant and Ambati Rayudu have both been overlooked but KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar and Ravindra Jadeja are all selected.

Virat Kohli will captain the squad, which can be altered up until May 23.

Seven players survive from the 2015 tournament when India reached the semi-finals, only to lose to eventual champions Australia.

Chief selector MSK Prasad said: "After the Champions Trophy we have tried quite a few middle-order batsmen, which also included Karthik, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey.

"We did give a few more chances to Rayudu but Vijay Shankar gives three dimensions. He can bat, if the conditions are overcast he can bowl, plus he is a fielder.

"We are looking at Vijay Shankar as a number four. Now we have plenty of options for that slot."

The two-time winners begin their campaign against South Africa in Southampton on June 5.

India squad: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd Shami

#TeamIndia for @ICC #CWC19 💪💪#MenInBlue 💙 pic.twitter.com/rsz44vHpge

— BCCI (@BCCI) April 15, 2019