To surprise many, wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant and batsman Ambati Rayudu have been named the standbys in the World Cup squad. In other words, if a batsman gets injured during the tournament then Ambati Rayudu or Rishabh Pant can be considered. Ishant Sharma and Spinner Axar Patel have also been selected as back-ups for the World Cup. The announcement was made on Wednesday by senior BCCI official.
Earlier, Rayudu had expressed disappointment for his omission from the squad on social media where he wrote, “Just ordered a new set of 3D glasses to watch the World Cup.” He had made this statement after the Chairman of Selectors MSK Prasad had given a justification on why Vijay Shankar was selected over Rayudu.
As per the ICC guide lines, the Selectors can make changes to the final team seven days before the World Cup tournament starts.