Indian Cricket Team playing XI for Asia Cup 2023 - Predicted

India have announced a 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023.

The India squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 has been announced, with only one week left until the start of the tournament. The 16th edition will begin on August 30 with a game between Pakistan and Nepal. Team India will start the tournament when they lock horns with Pakistan on September 2. Notably, India are the most successful team in the competition with seven titles (Six in ODIs).

Sri Lanka have won six, while Pakistan have won two. Thus, India will look to do well in the tournament, which will give them confidence ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup at home. Now, players like KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Jasprit Bumrah, and Prashid Krishna are back in the squad, which will strengthen the team’s chances. So let’s check out the possible playing XI for India in the Asia Cup 2023.

Here is the predicted playing XI for Team India for the Asia Cup 2023.

1. Rohit Sharma (Captain):

Indian captain Rohit Sharma will open the innings and will be the first player to feature on the sheet. The 36-year-old led India to victory in the 2018 Asia Cup. Now, he has another chance to win the competition and give fans good hopes ahead of the World Cup. Rohit is the highest scorer among active players in the Asia Cup. He has scored 745 runs in 21 innings at 46.56, with one century and six half-centuries.

2. Shubman Gill:

Ajit Agarkar confirmed in the press conference that Rohit and Shubman Gill will be India’s preferred opening combination. So we will see the 23-year-old opening with the skipper. Gill has established himself as India’s regular opener across formats with some consistent performances in the last year or so. This will be the first Asia Cup for Gill in his career, but his numbers in 2023 are pretty good.

3. Virat Kohli:

Not just for India, there are not many players who can match the ability of Virat Kohli at No. 3. He is the best batter at this position in modern-day cricket. The former Indian skipper will look to replicate the performance that he had in the last Asia Cup in 2022, where he scored the most runs for India. Virat’s form has been pretty good across formats since then, and he will be key for India in the coming tournament.

4. Shreyas Iyer:

Since his debut, Shreyas Iyer has established himself as a match-winner in the middle order. Especially in ODIs, he is a key member of the team. That is why his injury hurt India so much. India did try Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav in his absence, but it didn’t work. However, now that Iyer is back, India will surely look to him to deliver a match-winning performance batting at No. 4.

5. KL Rahul (WK):

After a lot of media reports confirmed that KL Rahul has been fit for selection, the 31-year-old has finally made his comeback in the team. Since shifting to the middle order, Rahul has given great balance to the team. But in his absence, India did struggle a bit. However, he is back after almost five months and will look to get some match time. Though Agarkar confirmed that he has a niggle, it is not very worrying news.

6. Hardik Pandya:

Hardik Pandya gives great balance to the team with both the bat and the ball. He has now started bowling with the new ball, which is a great sign for India. With his all-round ability, Hardik becomes an important part of the team. Not just with his bowling, he is a great guy at No. 6 for India. He has struggled a bit in recent times, but he is a match-winner, which is why he is India’s vice captain in the series.

7. Ravindra Jadeja:

Ravindra Jadeja is probably among the best all-format all-rounders in the world right now. He is one of those few guys, who can change the game in any situation with his abilities in all three departments. Jadeja will be very important on the pitches in Sri Lanka, which helps the spinners. With 19 wickets, Jadeja is the leading wicket-taker in the Asia Cup among the active players. He has also scored 152 runs at 32.25 with the bat.

8. Shardul Thakur:

Shardul Thakur is another bowling all-rounder in the team who is a really handy batter at the lower down the order. Shardul has a habit of picking crucial wickets and breaking partnerships, which has been key to his international success so far. His inclusion in the team will also provide depth in the batting department because he has played some good innings with the bat in recent times.

9. Kuldeep Yadav:

Asia Cup 2023 will be a big tournament for Kuldeep Yadav because India have picked him above Yuzi Chahal and Ravi Ashwin in the squad. It means they trust him, he has done a decent job, and he will be India’s first-choice spinner. With the turning pitches in India, Kuldeep will have a key role in the bowling department. He played in the 2018 edition and took 10 wickets in six games.

10. Mohammed Shami:

Veteran Indian pacer Mohammaed Shami is also back with for the Asia Cup 2023 after a break from West Indies tour. He makes a good combination with Jasprit Bumrah with the new ball and will be very important for India in the Asia Cup 2023. His experience will also help the team handle pressure situations. Shami played the 2014 edition and took 9 wickets in just four games at an average of 25.25.

11. Jasprit Bumrah:

The biggest positive for India is the return of Jasprit Bumrah to the team. He is currently leading the Indian team on the tour of Ireland to get some match practice. Bumrah made his comeback brilliantly by picking up two wickets in the first over of his return. He has made some changes in his bowling action, but despite that, he is bowling good yorkers. So without a doubt, Bumrah will be the leader of the pack for the Indian team in the coming Asia Cup 2023.

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