Following immense expectations, the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, alongside head selector Ajit Agarkar, presented the lineup for the impending Asia Cup 2023 on Monday, August 21.
The 16th edition of the Asia Cup is prepared to commence on August 30. This cricket event will be jointly hosted by Sri Lanka and Pakistan, and it’s expected to get off on August 30th with a match between Pakistan and Nepal at Multan Cricket Stadium. The participating teams have been grouped into two groups of three apiece. Group A contains India, Pakistan, and Nepal, whereas Group B comprises Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
In the lead-up to the announcement of the squads, there was great curiosity over the composition of Team India, especially due to the changes made during the previous Caribbean tour. However, the team management has expertly created a well-rounded roster for this important competition.
There were substantial doubts related to the fitness of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer. Both players were suffering from a thigh and a back injury respectively. Despite these hurdles, both of them have made it into the squad.
Team India will begin the campaign on September 2nd with a match against their arch-rivals, Pakistan, at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. The much-anticipated squad announcement was made on Monday, August 21st. The Indian selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar, revealed a powerful 17-member roster for the forthcoming Asia Cup 2023.
Nonetheless, Agarkar provided assurance that Iyer is prepared and in complete physical condition. However, he also verified that Rahul is currently dealing with a minor injury. Agarkar said, “Shreyas Iyer has been declared match fit. KL Rahul has picked up a small niggle, that’s why Sanju Samson will be traveling as a reserve. KL Rahul’s niggle has nothing to do with his initial injury.”
Hence, Sanju Samson has been chosen as a secondary wicket-keeper for the team, alongside Ishan Kishan. Meanwhile, Tilak Varma’s notable performance in the five-match T20I series against West Indies has earned him a spot in the squad. His terrific performance in the West Indies tour has paid him well.
“Tilak (Verma) showed real promise, temperament, good to take him along, fortunately, we can take 17 here so it is an opportunity for him to be a part of the team,” Ajit Agarkar said.
Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna are among the team players, along with Mohammad Siraj and Mohammad Shami. In the all-rounder category, the team includes Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Shardul Thakur.
The roster also includes the left-arm spinner, Kuldeep Yadav. Suryakumar Yadav has maintained his space in the ODI team despite scoring poorly against West Indies.
The top section of the batting lineup will consist of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli. Notably, Yuzvendra Chahal’s omission has stunned many.
With the following World Cup 2023 only a few months down the line, there was a subtle insinuation from the head of selection, Ajit Agarkar, that the team composition for the event might closely resemble the current squad.
“No brainer. We picked 18, World Cup squad will be around this also.” Ajit Agarkar said.
Indian Squad For Asia Cup 2023:
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna.
Reserve Player – Sanju Samson
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