Though the schedule for the Asia Cup is yet to be announced, the structure of the tournament is already out, with the event set to take place in Pakistan and Sri Lanka in a ‘hybrid’ format. The Indian cricket team, who last won the tournament in 2018, would be raring to add to their tally this time around. But, with there remaining big question marks over the availability of certain players, the task for Rohit Sharma and Co. would not be the easiest. The likes of Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, and Shreyas Iyer are all on the sidelines, nursing their injuries.
As the countdown for the Asia Cup 2023 campaign begins, we take a look at what India’s full-strength squad (from the available players) might look like.
Openers: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad
Shubman Gill’s career is off to a flier, courtesy of his recent exploits with the bat. Be it the Test format, ODIs, or T20Is, the opening batter has barely put a foot wrong. Though the World Test Championship final wasn’t the finest for him, he has all but confirmed his status as a starter in the team.
As for Rohit Sharma, being the skipper, he remains undroppable despite the odd form he has had in recent months.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, having scored tons of runs in the IPL, fits the bill for the reserve opener’s spot in the squad. There are many who see him as an all-format player for India in the coming years. This would be an opportunity for him to show his skills at the elite level.
Middle-order: Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan
Virat Kohli, as the name suggests, is one of the biggest pillars of the team. He is an automatic selection while KL Rahul, expected to regain full fitness in a few weeks, would add steel to India’s fragile middle-order.
Though Suryakumar Yadav hasn’t delivered in the 50-over format in recent outings, his exploits in the IPL are likely to see him being entrusted with more opportunities.
The likes of Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan (both wicket-keepers), have done enough to warrant a place in the Indian ODI squad. Who among them gets the spot behind the stumps in the absence of Rishabh Pant, would be interesting to see.
Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja are unarguably India’s finest all-rounders. Both of them are likely to be among the first names in the playing XI if fit. Axar Patel is a like-for-like backup option for Jadeja.
Specialist Spinners: Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav
The Kul-Cha pairing is likely to get the nod, especially considering the spin-friendly conditions that will be witnessed in Sri Lanka. Together, the duo could reproduce the old magic once again.
Specialist Pacers: Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik
The nature of the pitches in Sri Lanka might make it difficult for India to pick more than 2 specialist pacers in the team. With Hardik Pandya also capable of pitching in with the ball, taking three seamers to the Lankan nation could be enough.
Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Arshdeep Singh should get the nod while Umran Malik also has a good chance of being picked if Jasprit Bumrah remains on the sidelines.
Potential Reserve Players:Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Shardul Thakur
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