Hyderabad: The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced the men’s team squad for Asia Cup 2023.
Squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (VC), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
Travelling stand-by player: Sanju Samson.
The tournament is widely seen as India’s opportunity to get its final playing XI right ahead of the cricket world cup 2023.
Here are the top five takeaways from Asia Cup 2023 India Squad:
INJURED STARS RETURN
The squad sees the return of KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer and Prasidh Krishna. These four were vital cogs in India’s scheme of things before they got injured. The return of Rahul and Bumrah, in particular, will boost India’s chances at the 2023 world cup. Both have proved their mettle in the international level.
FOCUS ON PACERS: CHAHAL, ASHWIN IGNORED
The squad has six pacers (Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Hardik Pandya, Shardul Thakur, Prasidh Krishna) and three spinners (Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav). Clearly India is betting on fast bowlers to do their bidding at the Asia Cup. Key omissions from the list are Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin. As a captain, Rohit has always banked on pacers. In successful Indian Premier League campaigns, the like of Lasith Malinga, Bumrah and Trent Boult have played lead roles under Rohit’s captaincy.
FOUR ALL ROUNDERS PICKED
The focus seems to be on flexibility and depth in bowling and batting resources. In all, the squad has four all-rounders Hardik Pandya (VC), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel. This is another hallmark of Rohit’s captaincy. With Mumbai Indians picking three all-rounders (Hardik, Krunal Pandya and Kieron Pollard) in the playing XI in the years gone by.
THE KEEPER QUANDRY
After Indian keeper Rishabh Pant had a freak accident last year, it was clear he will not be in the Indian cricket team’s plans for the upcoming Asia Cup and the world cup. Since then, the team management has looked at various options to fill that all-important spot. The squad makes it clear that it will be a shoot-out between KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan, with Sanju Samson as cover in case of injuries.
TILAK VARMA FAST-TRACKED
Young Mumbai Indians star Tilak Varma has been blooded into the national team. It goes to show what the needs of the team are more than anything else. Varma is a middle order batsman with an attacking flair as shown in the IPL. At the same time, he is a part-time spinner, which is a rarity for Indian batters for this current generation.
For more ICC world cup 2023 updates, like live match scores, please stay tuned to this space.
