ASIA CUP SQUAD TAKEAWAYS
Follow UsAfter much anticipation, the BCCI has announced India’s ODI squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023. The squad acts as a precursor to India’s ODI World Cup preparation in terms of testing their mettle in a multi-team tournament.
In between the two tournaments, India have only three other ODIs to get themselves in shape for the mega event. Hence, the Asia Cup squad is a shadow of India’s World Cup outfit.
India have announced a 17-man squad for the Asia Cup (Sanju Samson as a backup is the 18th traveling member). In all probability, the 15-member World Cup squad will be crafted out of this pool of 18 cricketers. Likely, two batters and a seam bowler will be trimmed out.
The selectors have managed to include all the first-choice players, including Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna who were rehabilitating not long ago.
Iyer, Rahul back in time for the mega event
“Shreyas [Iyer] has been declared completely fit,” said Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of selectors for the Indian men's team, while announcing the squad.
Iyer and KL Rahul’s recovery from their respective injuries was presumably one of the reasons why BCCI waited this long to announce the squad. Both batters are key members of India’s World Cup plans. Since 2021, these two have averaged in 40s in ODIs despite batting primarily in the middle-order.
Their inclusion is the biggest takeaway for India, allowing them the best match practice possible before heading into the World Cup. Rahul, as informed by Agarkar, is carrying a niggle but will be available to feature in the Asia Cup at some point.
"We'll get a report from the physio at some stage but we all expect him to be fit. If not at the start, by the second or third game, but he's on track,” Agarkar clarified.
It is clear that India are eyeing these two to occupy the number four and number five spot in the ODI XI.
Samson’s ouster increases onus on Rahul to stay fit
Call it a case of mixing formats but with limited time and multiple options at hand, a glum T20I series in West Indies has ousted Samson from the Asia Cup squad. He is traveling as a reserve but for him to get into the main squad, Rahul will have to drop out on fitness grounds.
However, Rahul’s fitness is critical. If he is out, the backup wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan will have to bat out of position at number five. If he is pushed up to his favorable slot at the top of the order, then one of the openers - Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill - will have to be moved down. Hence, Rahul’s unavailability is bound to meddle with the batting order.
Samson down, Tilak up
Samson being ruled out also means Tilak Varma has an improved chance of making it to the World Cup. Earlier, the bout was between Samson and Suryakumar Yadav for the reserved batter’s spot in the mega event. But a promising start from Tilak in the T20Is versus West Indies, the same series where Samson faltered, has shifted the focus on him.
The fact that he is a left-hander also works in his favor, a trait alarmingly missing from India’s batting line-up.
No right-arm spinner at the World Cup?
In the second most notable factor, India have opted against Washington Sundar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravi Bishnoi.
It is a direct hint that Men in Blue have made up their mind to go into the World Cup without an off-spinner and a right-arm wrist-spin bowling option. In fact, with Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav in the squad, India have not picked a single right-arm frontline spin-bowling option.
Ashwin last played ODI for India in January 2022. The veteran spinner has always created buzz whenever the World Cup selections have come close but this time, the door seems to be shut. Bishnoi has played only one ODI for India where he conceded 1/69 in eight overs.
Chahal, since 2022, averages 27.9 for his 24 wickets in 14 innings. It is not a bad record but has fallen behind in the race.
In a squad of 18, Sundar’s exclusion is a bit of a surprise. Being a left-handed batter adept at playing in the lower order and a handy off-spinner, Sundar could have killed three birds with one stone for India.
No offie in the squad can come to bite the World Cup hosts against teams with left-handed batting line-ups - against Australia in Chennai, England in Lucknow being a few such possible cases. This issue can also surface in the Asia Cup itself with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka holding a number of left-handed batters in their middle-order.
The only fix to this is if Tilak starts bowling more regularly in India colors. Surprisingly, he has been used with the ball only once in seven T20Is thus far.
Prasidh still in contention
India played 15 ODIs in the first eight months of 2022. Prasidh Krishna played 11 of those games as a potential enforcer in the middle-overs. And he impressed, picking 19 wickets at 22.3 runs apiece.
Having underlined himself as a World Cup prospect, Prasidh was out of action for 12 months, until he returned during the ongoing T20I series in Ireland. Again, he is among wickets, taking two wickets each in both games. His spells in Ireland have kept him in contention for the World Cup. He is among five pacers picked for the Asia Cup.
In a trimmed squad for the World Cup, India will have the space to pick four of them. He could be in a shoot-out with Mohammad Shami (given Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness holds up). While Shami has subpar numbers (29.8 runs per wicket for 14 wickets in 11 games since 2020), he is also more of a new ball bowler and India have that area covered with Mohammed Siraj.
Having said this, both Bumrah and Krishna will have to prove their fitness in the multi-team 50-over tournament first.
