World Cup 2019: The 15 who carry a billion hopes

Strengths: It would not be wrong to say that he is the best No. 3 batsman India have ever had. A sheer match-winner, Kohli can do special things. He can be a dangerous customer if the pitch has little to offer to bowlers.

Weakness: Hardly any. But while Kohli may not be tentative, but chances are higher that he might give away his wicket early if the ball is swinging. It is the ball moving away from the off stump that troubles him.

Strengths: His ability to play through the innings. If he does that regularly India can set big targets because of his talent to hit big shots at will. He can pace his innings according to the situation.

Weaknesses: The only person who can stop Sharma is Sharma himself, if he gets complacent when things are going easy for him. His knack of being a bit inconsistent can also be his bane.

Strengths: That he is a southpaw is a big plus for him. Dhawan has the skills to attack from the word go and is not afraid to take on any bowler in the world when he is in his zone and rhythm.

Weaknesses: He has some serious issues against swing, especially with the ball which goes away from him. Dhawan will have to be extra cautious should the conditions get overcast in England.

Strengths: KL Rahul is in the squad as the third opener. Given an opportunity, he can be as devastating as a Rohit or a Shikhar for the range of shots that he possesses in his batting armoury.

Weaknesses: Rahul can go weak in his mind and confidence if things don't go his way. He can sometimes think too much and complicates his game. Dealing with swing is also another major issue.

Strengths: Chief selector MSK Prasad thinks he is a three-dimensional player. Shankar may not be dasher like Hardik but he is no less talented. The mature head on his shoulders gives him a slight advantage.

Weaknesses: Lack of experience. He hasn't done anything extraordinary to be on the plane to England. His military medium pacers may not be an effective weapon for captain Kohli to use.

Strengths: His mere presence on the field is half the job done easier for captain Virat Kohli. Brings in massive experience, maintains a cool head even in tense situations. There is none better than him when it comes to flashy stumpings. With the bat, he is the one of the best finishers in business, calculating the run chase intelligently.

Weaknesses: There is little to fault Dhoni when it comes to his glovework. But, with batting, he has not been very consistent in the last couple of years. He tends to consume too many deliveries initially and keeps it till very late while chasing. Sometimes the conditions get the better of him.

Strengths: His IPL form has been tremendous and has been hitting the ball cleanly, clearing boundaries at will. Will be confident taking that form into the World Cup. Has proved his all-round skills by taking wickets regularly, breaking partnerships. A brilliant fielder, Pandya is a vital cog in in the Indian set up.

Weaknesses: Can get erratic with the ball when things don't fall in place early. He is one who, if sorted out by the opposition early, finds it difficult to come back. He tends to lose confidence. With the bat, can be erratic sometimes, not finishing things and has tends to throw away his wicket and not play as per the situation.

Strengths: A solid middle-order batsman who is capable of winning matches with his dashing strokeplay. He has done it in the past. Thrives in tough conditions and can play according to the demanding situations. With the ball, he is the man with the 'golden arm'. His side-arm action and the angle with which he delivers makes it difficult for batsmen to pick the ball.

Weaknesses: He has just recovered from a shoulder injury. Has a history of injuries in the past that has curtailed his career. With the bat, he is a bit uneasy with the moving ball as well as the short stuff. Takes time to settle down before building an innings.

Strengths: A useful all-rounder, adds variety to the bowling attack. Has the knack of containing the run flow with his angular deliveries and some faster ones. Keeps the opposition under pressure by sending his overs quickly. A big-hitter, can accelerate the scoring and clear boundaries with ease. A live wire in the outfield, Jadeja is one of the world's best fielders.

Weaknesses: For someone who has been in the intenational circuit for a decade, Jadeja has not really added new tricks with his finger spin. Can sometimes be monotonous and be picked up easily by the batsmen. With the bat, he has not really lived up to his potential. Throws it away when the team really needs him there.

Strengths: Experience is his key. Has pipped young Rishabh Pant for the second wicketkeeper's role for his ability to keep wickets better. With Dhoni behind the stumps, he is a handy fielder in the outfield, should he get a chance. Has shown in recent times that he is more than useful batsman with his ability to win matches for the team in tense moments.

Weaknesses: Does not get to play regularly in the Indian team because of the presence of MS Dhoni. May fall short of quality match practice. Cannot be accommodated anywhere else unless in case of SOS. Has improved his glovework but can look ordinary sometimes.

Strengths: He's part of a rare breed in cricket, and that's his biggest USP. Left-arm wrist-spinners are the most difficult to handle for any batsmen, and Kuldeep uses that to his advantage by giving enough air on the ball to work its magic. More importantly, he can spin the ball both ways and with the same accuracy.

Weaknesses: Like we saw in the IPL this year, his confidence can go downhill quickly if he is taken to the cleaners in a few matches. He will have to guard against that, especially on the flat English decks, where his tendency to flight the ball can sometimes work against him.

Strengths: Like Kuldeep, he is a wrist-spinner with the happy knack of picking up wickets. He's a classical leg-spinner who gives the ball amazing loop, can throw in the odd flipper and a googly that is as threatening as his stock ball. He can also keep it tighter than most leggies of the world.

Weaknesses: Again, like his fellow wrist-spinners, Chahal can be expensive on flat tracks. It is something we saw in the ODI series in England last year, where he was half as effective than he is at home. He will have to find a way to check the flow of runs should it start leaking.

Strengths: Shami has been India's most improved ODI bowler over the last one year, and much of it is due to his improved fitness. He is a rhythm bowler, and it is in full flow at the moment. Shami has the pace, the movement and the ability to keep it stump to stump.

Weaknesses: Shami's death bowling was not the best going around, but he has worked on that aspect with success, like this IPL showed. It will also be interesting to see how he maintains his groove and rhythm throughout this long tournament, and how he picks it up should he begin slowly.

Strengths: India's biggest trump card, and arguably the finest bowler of the World Cup. Bumrah has everything to trouble batsmen even on the flattest tracks: unorthodox action, fiery pace, pinpoint accuracy. His biggest asset is he can pick up wickets at any time of the innings, while his yorkers at the death are by far the best in the world.

Weaknesses: Not many, really. Bumrah is a complete package, one that has rarely failed to deliver for his captain. However, he can have his off days as well, and he can go for run if it's one of those days. A major worry is his habit of bowling no-balls too frequently, something that can cost dearly in big matches.

Strengths: Swing, swing, and some more swing. If the pitch and the overhead conditions are suitable for swing bowling, Bhuvneshwar can be as lethal as even the most fiercy fast bowlers, for he has the tendency to move the ball both ways. His death bowling too has been good, especially with the change of pace.

Weaknesses: Traditionally, England is known to be suited for swing bowlers but the same can't be said this time, for there will be nothing on offer from the flat tracks. On such pitches, Bhuvneshwar can get a bit too one-dimentional, more so because his pace has dipped lately.

Head coach Ravi Shastri knows a thing or two about doing well in World Cups, having tasted success on the biggest stage in 1983. Shastri is more of a motivator, adept at painting a rosy picture outside and keeping the dressing room spirit high inside. He has at his disposal some very skilled men: batting coach Sanjay Bangar, bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar. They're not big names, but they sure know how to get the best out of the players.