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Team India's next quest in the T20I format is the multi-nation Asia Cup. The tournament will be held in the UAE with the group stages commencing on August 27, 2022.
India are in Group A with Pakistan and the winner of the qualifying round, which could be Singapore, Hong Kong, the UAE, or Kuwait.
Thereafter, the top two teams from Group A will compete against the top two teams from Group B in the Super 4 Round. The top two teams in the Super Four Round will compete in the finals on September 11, 2022.
The Rohit Sharma-led side have announced their 15-member squad for the Asia Cup and the same is as below:
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Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (VC), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Deepak Hooda, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, and Avesh Khan.
Reserves: Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, and Deepak Chahar
On that note, here is a detailed analysis of the Indian squad for the Asia Cup 2022:
Strengths - Expereinced batting line-up and presence of quality spinners
The Indian batting line-up is an explosive one as far as T20 cricket is concerned. To begin with, skipper Rohit Sharma is one of the most successful openers to have played T20Is. He averages a healthy 31.7 in 124 T20I innings and has an explosive strike rate of 140.17 with four centuries in T20Is.
K. L. Rahul will make a comeback to the T20I squad after recovering from injuries. He has been a consistent performer in T20Is for India and is a perfect opening partner for Rohit Sharma.
In 52 T20I innings, the Indian vice-captain in the T20I format has scored 1831 runs at an average of 40.69 and a strike-rate of 142.28. He has the ability to bat through longer periods in T20Is and hold the innings together.
Virat Kohli will be a vital player for India in the Asia Cup. He has been a match-winner for India in the past, and despite his patchy form of late, he continues to be a threat to the opponents.
He has played 99 T20Is to date, and in 91 innings, he has scored 3308 runs at a healthy average of 50.12. He will look to get back to scoring tons of runs and getting back in form in the Asia Cup.
Suryakumar Yadav has been a sensation in T20I cricket. He has a strike-rate of 175.46 in 21 T20I innings and has scored five half-centuries and a century in the said format.
Apart from the players mentioned hereinabove, the likes of Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, and Ravindra Jadeja are a threat to the opponents. Pandya, in particular, has been impressive in T20Is in 2022.
In 12 innings, he has scored 281 runs at an average of 31.22 and a strike rate of 139.80. In the past couple of months, Karthik has established himself as a finisher in the T20 format and could be the finisher for Team India in the Asia Cup.
The squad also boasts quality in their spin bowling attack for India. The likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandra Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Ravi Bishnoi are named in the squad. In all likelihood, Chahal and Jadeja will be the likely first-choice spinners in the playing 11.
Chahal, in particular, has been impressive in T20Is in 2022 and has picked up 15 wickets at an average of 18.13. Ashwin, with his experience, could be a wild card for India in the Asia Cup.
Thus, a strong batting line-up and a quality spin attack on surfaces in the UAE that are likely to assist spinners are the biggest strengths for India in the Asia Cup.
Weakness - Relatively inexperience in front line fast bowling resources
India's squad for the Asia Cup 2022 comprises just three front-line fast bowling options, with Hardik Pandya being the all-rounder.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, and Avesh Khan are the three frontline bowlers in the squad. Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the Asia Cup 2022 due to an injury, and Mohammed Shami has not been considered for the tournament.
Avesh Khan has been inconsistent for India in T20Is. In 13 T20Is to date, the right-handed pacer has picked up 11 wickets at an average of 31.82. The biggest concern for Avesh is the economy rate.
Khan has an economy rate of 11, 10.75, and 10.15 in the last three T20I series India have played against Ireland, England, and the West Indies. He will have to control the flow of runs if he has to be a permanent member of the playing 11.
Arshdeep Singh has had an impressive start to his T20I career and was named Man of the Series in the recently concluded series against the West Indies. In six T20Is, the left-handed pacer has picked up nine wickets at an impressive average of 14.56 and an exceptional economy rate of 6.34.
However, Arshdeep is yet to be tested on flat batting pitches in the sub-continent that usually favor batsmen and the Asia Cup 2022 will be a test for the young pacer.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the most experienced Indian bowler in the squad, having played 72 T20Is. As far as playing in the UAE is concerned, Kumar has only played a solitary T20I in his career and is yet to pick up a wicket.
Thus, the Indian fast bowling options seem to be limited for the Asia Cup, and in all likelihood, the team will rely more on spinners than pace bowlers in the said tournament.
Opportunities - Hardik Pandya to re-establish himself as an all-rounder in T20Is and Rishabh Pant to make a name in T20Is
Hardik Pandya, the all-rounder, is a major asset for Team India. As mentioned hereinabove, Pandya has been in decent touch with the bat in T20Is in 2022 and in 12 innings, he has scored 281 runs at an average of 31.22 and a strike-rate of 139.8.
With the ball, he has bowled 28 overs in T20Is in 2022 and has picked up 8 wickets at an average of 29.88 and an economy rate of 8.54. The team management has handled his workload with the ball well, and Pandya's role as the third pacer will be crucial in the Asia Cup 2022.
If inexperienced bowlers Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan are taken to the cleaners, it will be up to Pandya to control the flow of runs and complete his quota of four overs.
If Pandya is able to bowl his quota of four overs regularly in the Asia Cup 2022, it will provide the management the luxury to field an extra batsman/ bowler in the playing 11 depending on the playing conditions.
Rishabh Pant has made a name for himself in Test cricket and is an indispensable part of the Indian Test team. However, he is yet to establish himself in the T20 format on the international stage.
The keeper-bastman has scored just 698 runs in 48 T20I innings and has an average of 23.86. His strike-rate of 126.5 does no justice to his talent in the T20 format.
The Asia Cup 2022 provides the perfect platform for Pant to showcase his talent in T20I cricket and make a name for himself in the said format. If Pant fails to get going in the said tournament, the likes of Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson could be knocking down the doors for selection in the shortest format.
Threat - Injury and lack of form of certain key Team India players
The squad consists of certain players who have been out of form in the recent past and some players who are making comebacks after their respective injuries.
To begin with, Virat Kohli has not been in the best of touches in T20Is and has played only a limited number of T20Is in 2022. In four T20Is in 2022, Kohli averages 20.25. Kohli was rested for the entire tour of the West Indies and will be fresh and raring to go on the cricket field in the Asia Cup.
KL Rahul last played an international match way back in February 2022, and his last T20I for India was in November 2021. He has not played competitive cricket since IPL 2022 and could be a bit rusty in the first few matches he plays.
Ravindra Jadeja missed the ODI series against the West Indies due to an injury. He played the first two T20Is and was rested thereafter. A fully fit Jadeja is a three-dimensional cricketer and a match-winner with the bat, ball and/or in the field.
Overall, Team India has a strong squad with the right mix of young and experienced players and could be the team to beat. If all players stay fit and fire at the right time, India could lift the coveted Asia Cup trophy for the eighth time.
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