The dates for the 2023 Asia Cup have been confirmed at last by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and all eyes will be on how well India are able to perform in the tournament.
Their outing in the T20 version of the event in 2022 was disappointing, as they were unable to qualify out of the Super 4s and missed out on playing arch-rivals Pakistan in the final.
The Men in Blue will be keen to ensure they avoid the mistakes of last year and go on to win the tournament in 2023, which will be held in the ODI format given it is the year of the ODI World Cup.
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But in order to do that, the team combinations will need to be rightly picked – something that has been an issue with India in recent times.
Here we will look at the Indian cricket team’s predicted squad as well as predicted playing XI going into the continental tournament.
India’s Asia Cup predicted Playing XI
ODI captain Rohit Sharma is a sure-shot starter, as is fellow opener Shubman Gill. Ishan Kishan would likely slot in as the back-up opener and wicketkeeper.
Three and four will be taken up by Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer, the latter’s inclusion being down to his fitness status by the time.
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Suryakumar Yadav will most likely slot in at 4 in his absence, with the number 5 spot being taken by KL Rahul – assuming he too is fit. In his absence, the team would likely turn to Sanju Samson.
All-rounders Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja slot in at 6 & 7 respectively, whereas Shardul Thakur will add depth to the batting and thus plays at 8.
Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj will be the two out and out fast bowlers, whereas one of Yuzvendra Chahal or Kuldeep Yadav make it to the team as the lone full-time spinner.
So the XI would be as follows: Rohit Shama, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal.
India’s Asia Cup predicted squad
Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson and Kuldeep Yadav seem likeliest to fill out 3 of the remaining 4 spots, but who gets the fourth slot is up for debate.
It would most likely be a fast bowler and Umran Malik seems the likeliest candidate, given he provides an X-factor option with his raw pace.
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