Ever since the BCCI announced the Indian squad for the 2023 Asia Cup beginning on August 30, it created quite a lot of buzz in the cricket community and social media. Team India captain Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar declared a well-balanced side taking the upcoming World Cup at home in consideration. Considering how popular the Indian team is, the inclusion of young and experienced players has grabbed many eyeballs. Giving a perfect start to their Asia Cup campaign with a blockbuster encounter with Pakistan, The Men in Blue will go all guns blazing to gain immense confidence on September 2. Watch Asia Cup live on YuppTV and experience all the thrills and chills.
Team India joins old rival Pakistan and debutant Nepal in Group A, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan join Group B. These six Asian teams will play six group matches and as many as Super 4s. The top performers from Super 4 will fight for the championship in the finals on September 17.
As Asia Cup 2023 will be played in the 50-over format this year, it is a crucial event for the team India ahead of the World Cup. India’s performance in the Asia Cup will surely help them to prepare well for the big event. Bumrah, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer, who missed playing for a long time due to injury returned to the side. Bumrah is back in action and performed well against Ireland in the T20 series. Rahul and Iyer will have enough practice before the team enters the Asia Cup. It will be good news for Indian cricket fans if all three are match-ready.
HerRohit 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, Traveling stand-by player: Sanju Samson
It will be interesting to see how head coach Rahul Dravid and skipper Rohit Sharma pick the playing XI. Here is the complete list of players and their positions.
The Opening Pair
It will be a tough job for the team management to choose the opening pair as they have plenty of options to try several combinations. They can push a senior player like KL Rahul or youngsters like Shubman Gill or Ishan Kishan alongside Rohit Sharma to unfurl the batting.
Middle-Order
Indian middle-order batting is rock solid with Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, and Shreyas Iyer. Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, and Shardul Thakur will shine with their all-round performances.
Pace Bowlers
Jasprit Bumrah returning to the side undoubtedly strengthens the Indian pace attack. A key performer for India on big occasions, his presence will lift the team morale. Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna will share the fast-bowling responsibilities.
Spin Magicians
Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja will take care of the spin bowling for India.
Wicket Keeper
Due to Rishab Pant’s unavailability, the wicketkeeper-batsman position has several players to pitch in. KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, and Sanju Samson can open the batting and work behind the wickets.
The Indian squad looks formidable and hopes to reclaim their supremacy in the Asia Cup and against Pakistan. We have to wait till the match day to see who will make it to the side and who is left out. With India facing Pakistan in its opening game, excitement knows no boundaries. Enjoy watching Asia Cup 2023 live on YuppTV and catch all the action.