The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) unveiled the 17-member squad on Monday, August 21, set to compete in the imminent Asia Cup 2023. The tournament is scheduled to commence from August 30 onwards.
In the lead-up to the announcement of the squads, there was considerable speculation about the composition of Team India, especially due to the changes and experiments made during the recent West Indies tour. However, the team management has skillfully crafted a well-rounded brilliant squad for this prestigious tournament.
Turning our attention to the batting lineup, Captain Rohit Sharma led the pack, joined by Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli in the top-order positions. Providing backup as an opener was Ishan Kishan. Virat Kohli’s designated spot remained solid at No. 3 for the Indian team.
The real buzz surrounded the return of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, both making comebacks after recovering from surgeries for their respective injuries. Shreyas Iyer had been on the sidelines since March 2023 due to a back issue, while KL Rahul had been out of action since May 2023, nursing a thigh injury.
Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna are among the seamers that have been for the squad members, along with Mohammad Siraj and Mohammad Shami.
In the all-rounder category, the team features Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Shardul Thakur who can provide good batting depth and bowling ability. The squad also includes the left-arm spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, who has been in terrific form this year. His brilliant crucial wicket-taking abilities during the middle overs will help the Indian team a lot.
Suryakumar Yadav has maintained his spot in the ODI team despite scoring low against West Indies. The top part of the batting lineup will consist of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli.
Notably, Yuzvendra Chahal’s exclusion from the squad has come to surprise the fans.
Sanju Samson has been named as a backup player for Asia Cup 2023.
The team selection sparked various responses on social media, drawing reactions from both fans and experts. There was a mixture of appreciation for the chosen players and empathy for those who weren’t included in the squad.
Here are some of the reactions:
