The Asia Cup 2023 will kick-start on August 30 with Pakistan hosting Nepal in Multan. The 6-team continental tournament will be played in two countries, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, across four venues: Multan, Karachi, Kandy, and Colombo.
Out of the 13 matches in the tournament, 4 matches will take place in Pakistan while the rest 9, including the final and all of India’s matches, will be played in Sri Lanka.
At the time of writing, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh team squads while the rest of the 3 teams are expected to announce later this week.
India are expected to announce their squad after the first or second T20I against Ireland where they will see the return of Jasprit Bumrah and possibly also Prasidh Krishna. India are also waiting for the fitness declarations of a couple of other players at the NCA.
The Times Of India has reported three major points regarding India’s Asia Cup squad, about the player selections, who could be dropped, who could be selected, and what is the fitness update of two important players.
Here are key points about India’s Asia Cup 2023 squad:
KL Rahul set to return after gaining full fitness
India will receive a major boost in the middle-order as the experienced keeper-batsman KL Rahul is reported to have gained full fitness and is set to make his return in the Asia Cup 2023.
Rahul had sustained a thigh injury while playing in the IPL and then soon underwent surgery in London. He has been at the NCA in the past couple of months and has made a good recovery; he’s also doing wicket-keeping drills to take up the number 4/5 position in the ODI team in the Asia Cup.
Rahul is a key player in the side and has done well in the middle-order in recent times. He was earmarked for the keeper’s role after Rishabh Pant’s car accident.
Sanju Samson set to be dropped
The TOI report on Thursday morning revealed that its sources believe Sanju Samson is set to be dropped from the ODI side for the Asia Cup. KL Rahul’s return means that one of Ishan Kishan or Sanju Samson would have been dropped – Kishan has been really good as an opener in ODIs – he blasted a double century in Bangladesh and recently scored three consecutive fifties in West Indies.
Though Samson has an impressive average of 55 in ODIs, it is believed that his poor returns in the T20I series against West Indies – scores of 12, 7, and 13 – have hurt his chances in the ODI team.
Shreyas Iyer not 100% fit, likely to miss Asia Cup
Both KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer recently took part in a match simulation organized by the NCA. While Rahul is reported to be fit for the Asia Cup, Iyer’s chances are looking bleak. Iyer picked up a back injury earlier this year and missed the entire IPL season and the WTC Final after a surgery.
In Shreyas Iyer’s absence, India tried Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, and Axar Patel at number 4, but none of them could cement his place. Suryakumar might get selected for the Asia Cup and get one last series for auditioning for a place in the middle-order.
India could also go with Tilak Varma, who is uncapped in ODIs yet, but has shown great temperament in his short career yet. Varma would also add the left-handedness to break up the right-hander heavy top 6.
BCCI to announce the Asia Cup squad on August 20
The BCCI is likely to announce the Asia Cup squad on August 20. It is believed that they are waiting for the first T20I against Ireland, scheduled for August 18, and see how Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna perform on their return after back injuries.
