A look at takeaways from India's Asia Cup 2023 squad

New Delhi [India], August 21 : India have been boosted by the return of some big names for the Asia Cup 2023. The tournament, beginning August 30, will effectively be the preparation ground for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, which will take place in India from October 5.
India will feature in the six-nation tournament which will be co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka. This contest will be among their last international assignments before the Cricket World Cup in October-November.
The Rohit Sharma-led side has been bolstered by the return of Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer to the ODI setup. The team will now have an opportunity to try out combinations which they would likely field for the World Cup.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the squad which was announced on Monday.
*Iyer and Rahul return
While Bumrah had already made a comeback in the T20I series against Ireland, the Asia Cup squad sees the return of Iyer and Rahul. The duo had missed out on cricketing action due to their respective injuries.
Iyer’s back troubles saw him miss cricketing action since March, while Rahul suffered a thigh injury during the Indian Premier League in May and had been out of action since then.
The two players had undergone successful surgeries and were rehabilitating at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and recently featured in match simulation training there.
Iyer has achieved 100 per cent fitness and is a certain starter for the event. On the other hand, the Karnataka batter Rahul picked up a niggle unrelated to his previous injury, and will be gradually eased back into the India setup.
“Shreyas has been declared as completely fit. Rahul's been suffering from a niggle over the last few days, which is unrelated to his original injury. That’s why Sanju [Samson] is travelling at the moment. But at some stage, we are all expecting him to be fit. If not at the start of the Asia Cup, maybe the second or the third game," Chairperson of the Senior Men’s Selection Committee, Ajit Agarkar said during a press conference, according to ICC.
*India’s fourth pacer option
India wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik has raised questions about India’s fourth pace bowling option for the upcoming World Cup. It is quite likely that India’s squad would feature no more than four fast bowlers other than Hardik Pandya.
"Who is the fourth medium pacer. We have Jasprit (Bumrah), we have (Mohammed) Shami and we have (Mohammed) Siraj. We are sure about all of these three, but who is going to be the fourth?," the veteran asked, according to ICC.
With the selection of Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna for the Asia Cup, it seems that the duo are India’s preferred choice for the fourth pace option.
*India’s middle-order preferences are revealed
While India sees the return of regular ODI stars in Rahul and Iyer, they have also picked rising star Tilak Varma and T20I performer Suryakumar Yadav in the squad.
India has struggled with a settled middle-order with a particular lack of clarity around the number four position. In the recently concluded ODI series against the West Indies, they tried three different batters at the position in as many games.
While India skipper Rohit Sharma felt that it was a question of his batting unit delivering as a whole and added that the upcoming games were a good opportunity for the batters to make their case for the global event.
"It is not about number four. It is about top three and then four, five, six, seven to get the job done. It is not just one position that can win us the game or the tournament. It is about the entire batting unit getting the job done," Rohit said.
"We have got six and three, nine ODIs, plus the two practice games before we play our first game (in the World Cup). So we have got a lot of games, where these guys can bat and make this position their own," he added.
*No place for Chahal
India went ahead with three spinners in their squad of 17, with Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav as the preferred choices.
Yuzvendra Chahal, who last featured in an ODI in January this year and was also a part of the squad that toured the West Indies, was left out of the side.
Agarkar discussed how it would have been difficult to fit in two wrist spinners into the squad.
"Kuldeep's had a fantastic run at this point. To fit in two wrist-spinners might have been difficult. At this point, you can only fit 15 (for the World Cup). To fit two wrist-spinners (would've been difficult). So, unfortunately, one of them would have to miss out and at this point, Kuldeep is a little bit ahead of him," he said.
While it seems quite likely that these three left-arm spin options, two orthodox and one unorthodox, will feature in India's World Cup squad, no one has been ruled out officially.
Rohit had said that spots might still open up. "No doors are closed for anyone. Anyone can come in at any time. Chahal has played a lot of cricket, lot of white-ball cricket. If we feel like we need him for the World Cup, we can try and squeeze him. Same with (Ravichandran) Ashwin or Washy (Washington Sundar)," he said.
*Top-order certainty
Along with speculations and uncertainty around India's number four position, some experts including former India coach Ravi Shastri had suggested that the team could try out Virat Kohli at that position.
Rohit, however, clarified that the players would largely stick to their designated positions.
"The opener bats at the position of an opener. The number three batter bats at number three. KL Rahul used to bat at number five, that is the position, he would stick to. Hardik bats at six, and that is where he will come. Same with Jadeja at seven," said the skipper.
"At times we can switch between numbers four and five. That kind of flexibility is okay. And the same happened to us, when we came into the side. All youngsters have batted at all positions. That is the flexibility I believe in. You cannot send an opener at number eight, or send the number eight player to open. We do not believe in that kind of madness," he added.
India Squad for the Asia Cup:
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.