Team India Asia Cup 2023 Preview

The final leg of India’s 2023 ODI World Cup preparations begin with the commencement of the Asia Cup as the Men in Blue look to fine-tune their squad ahead of the marquee quadrennial tournament. Rohit Sharma’s side will take on some of the top teams across the continent in Sri Lanka, kickstarting their journey with a match against neighbours Pakistan in Colombo on September 2 before facing Nepal in their other Group A fixture two days later.

While winning an eighth Asia Cup title will be the main priority, the tournament also offers the team a chance to gauge their preparations before the main action begins in October, giving the Men in Blue an opportunity to nail down their final squad for the World Cup.

The main story from the Indian camp ahead of this tournament is the return of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul to the side following their substantial lay-offs due to injury. The pair have missed the majority of India’s World Cup preparations after suffering injuries earlier this year but return to action on the eve of the tournament to bolster India’s middle order.

India have struggled to identify the perfect number four to supplement the top three of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli, but the two returning right-handers are the ideal candidates for this spot due to their ability to play the spinners through the middle overs.

Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna also return to the ODI set-up after year long absences due to injury. The pair made their comeback to international cricket in the T20I series in Ireland and will use the Asia Cup to ramp up their fitness ahead of the heavy workload expected at the World Cup.

Key Player

Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav has established himself as the premier spinner in the Indian team following his strong performances in the format over the last 18 months and will play a major role for the Men in Blue at the Asia Cup. The wrist-spinner is averaging 20.9 at an economy of 4.9 in ODI cricket since 2022 and will be the go-to man for Rohit Sharma through the middle overs on the turning tracks in Si Lanka.

Team News

India have a fully fit squad to start the Asia Cup with the exception of KL Rahul, who is nursing a small niggle and expected to be available after the opening two games. Shreyas Iyer could make his comeback to the side at number four, while Suryakumar Yadav could fill in as the finisher in the side at number six.

Probable XI

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah