India’s selectors will pick the squad for the upcoming Asia Cup next week. The announcement is likely to be made after the conclusion of the ongoing five-match T20I series against the West Indies. With young Turks like Deepak Hooda, Arshdeep Singh, and Sanju Samson proving their mettle in recent matches, the task of finalising the 15-member squad for the tournament is not going to be easy for the selectors.
Seniors players Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and KL Rahul coming back into the squad and with only spots up for grabs in the squad, the selector will have to deal with the problem of plenty
In the batting department, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, and Dinesh Karthik are almost certain to make the cut. Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja are likely to be drafted in as pure all-rounders. Meanwhile, bowling duties will likely be shared between Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Harshal Patel.
But selectors will be in a fix for the remaining three spots. With Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Yadav fit for selection and players like Axar Patel, Hooda, Arshdeep, and R Ashwin showing good form in the recent past, the choice is not going to be easy.
Deepak Chahar was India’s prime bowler for the powerplay in T20 matches before a hamstring injury kept him out of action. In his absence, Bhuvneshwar Kumar cemented his place in the squad.
Kuldeep Yadav had also announced his return to form after finishing in the top leading wicket-taker of the IPL 2022. However, an injury in his right hand ahead of the home series against South Africa forced him out of action.
The squad for the Asia Cup will provide a fair indication of the team’s core for the T20 World Cup in Australia. Rohit and Co will be playing around a dozen T20I games before the blockbuster clash against Pakistan at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. This includes the home series against South Africa and Australia.
In these 12 games, skipper Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid would want to cover all the bases ahead of the marquee ICC tournament down under. Team management will also be closely monitoring the form of Virat Kohli and evaluating long they can keep in-form youngsters like Deepak Hooda waiting.
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