India has unveiled its 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, scheduled to commence on August 30. The team’s strength has been augmented by the comeback of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, both of whom had been recuperating from injuries at the National Cricket Academy. Their successful recovery has earned them spots in the Asia Cup squad.
Additionally, Jasprit Bumrah is making a return to ODI cricket, ending a hiatus of over a year. Bumrah, who has demonstrated his fitness in the ongoing T20I series against Ireland, is poised to test his skills in the 50-over format as the team gears up for the upcoming World Cup.
India Squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna.
Travelling reserve: Sanju Samson
Here's the Rohit Sharma-led team for the upcoming #AsiaCup2023 🙌#TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/TdSyyChB0b
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 21, 2023
Return of Rahul, Iyer And Bumrah
The reentry of Iyer and Rahul presents a substantial uplift for India, both in the forthcoming Asia Cup and the impending World Cup. These two players have recently become linchpins in the ODI squad, occupying the critical No.4 and No.5 positions. These slots have posed a challenge for India following the 2019 World Cup.
Rahul’s shift to the middle order has brought about a transformation in his ODI performance. Across 18 matches at No.5, he has amassed 742 runs at an impressive average of 53, maintaining a near-run-a-ball strike rate. This marks a notable improvement over his overall career average of 45.13 and a strike rate of 86.57.
– KL Rahul is back.
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 21, 2023
– Shreyas Iyer is back.
– Jasprit Bumrah is back.
– Prasidh Krishna is back.
Everyone is fit & available for the big event after a huge injury break. pic.twitter.com/SMC6udy9VM
Pace Bowling For India In Asia Cup 2023
Pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna, who have recently returned to international cricket following back surgeries, find their place in the squad. Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna have marked their comeback during the ongoing T20I series in Ireland. Meanwhile, Mohammed Shami is also set to return after being rested during the West Indies tour. The pace contingent is further solidified by Mohammed Siraj and allrounders Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur.
Spin Bowling For India Ind Asia Cup 2023
The squad saw the omission of seasoned legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal, while Kuldeep Yadav was chosen as the sole wristspinner. The squad includes two fingerspinning allrounders, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. Notably, there is no offspinner in the selected lineup.
Some Interesting Stats Of Asia Cup
Team India won the Asia Cup for the maximum time i.e. 7 times in 15 editions followed by Sri Lanka 6 times and Pakistan 2 times. The three remaining countries Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Nepal have yet to open their account in the Asia Cup winners list. The country-wise list of Asia Cup winners is given below.
| Team Name | Winner | Runner-Up | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 7 | 3 | 1984, 1988, 1991, 1995, 2010, 2016, 2018 |
| Srilanka | 6 | 6 | 1986, 1997, 2004, 2008, 2014, 2022 |
| Pakistan | 2 | 3 | 2000, 2012 |
| Bangladesh | – | 3 | – |
| Afganistan | – | – | – |
| Nepal | – | – | – |
Related Links
