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Team India will look to continue their winning run in the Asia Cup 2023 when they take on Bangladesh in the final Super Four game in Colombo on Friday, September 15.
Having already secured their spot in the final of the competition, the Men in Blue will be rather relaxed going into their against the Tigers. They will have the welcome opportunity to rest several key players while simultaneously trying out names that are in the mix for the World Cup 2023.
It must be noted that despite bowling coach Paras Mhambrey's comments at a pre-match press conference and fans' general speculation, it's not clear which players India are looking to rest. The extent to which they are willing to alter the XI is another question mark.
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India's squad for the Asia Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Prasidh Krishna, and KL Rahul (wk).
Nevertheless, we attempt to predict India's playing XI for their Asia Cup 2023 Super Four clash against Bangladesh.
Openers: Rohit Sharma (c) and Shubman Gill
The opening combination is perhaps the only part of India's playing XI that will remain unchanged on Friday.
Both Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are in excellent form right now. It wouldn't make sense to bring in Ishan Kishan, who has taken on a middle-order role, back to the top even if one of the right-handed duo wants a break.
Middle order: Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and Ishan Kishan (wk)
There's a chance that Virat Kohli, who hammered a match-winning hundred against Pakistan, could be rested for the final Super Four game. If he is, either Tilak Varma or Suryakumar Yadav could replace the superstar batter in the playing XI.
However, Kohli has failed in two of his three innings so far in the Asia Cup. Thus, he might not be in good enough nick to warrant taking a break, despite his stellar performance against the Men in Green. India could want their No. 3 to head into upcoming matches with a score against Bangladesh under his belt.
Shreyas Iyer batted in the nets for a significant period of time on the eve of the match. If he is match-fit, the Men in Blue will definitely attempt to bring him back into the fold as they are unlikely to attempt such stunts in the final against Sri Lanka.
At the same time, though, India could exercise caution with Shreyas and leave him out of the mix if he is not 100 percent fit. If the No. 4 batter doesn't make the grade, Suryakumar, who is part of the World Cup 2023 squad, is the frontrunner to enter the playing XI. Tilak, who also spent a considerable amount of time in the nets on Thursday, is another genuine option.
KL Rahul has batted and kept wickets in both of India's Super Four matches, and the limits of his fitness have been tested so far. He has pulled through well, showing no signs of the injury that kept him out for several months. Thus, it would be wise for Rohit and company to not take any risks and give him a breather ahead of the Asia Cup 2023 final.
Ishan Kishan could thus don the gloves. The southpaw is another candidate to be rested, especially if India want to use their left-arm spinners higher up the order. But he hasn't done enough in the middle order to potentially seal a berth in the first-choice side for the World Cup.
Another chance or two would go a long way in helping India decide whether they are willing to place faith in Kishan, a left-hander, over Shreyas.
All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Shardul Thakur
Hardik Pandya looked slightly tired as he bowled a game-defining spell against Sri Lanka. A player who is invaluable to the Indian team and has been known to break down when pushed hard, the all-rounder should be rested against Bangladesh.
Shardul Thakur could replace Hardik as India attempt to give their all-rounders an increased role with the bat. Apart from Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, who endured contrasting outings in the previous game, will have an eye on improving with bat and ball, respectively.
Bowlers: Mohammed Shami, Prasidh Krishna, and Kuldeep Yadav
With a spot in the final in the bag, India have no need to play Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj against the Tigers. While the former only recently recovered from injury, the latter has played all games of the Asia Cup 2023 and could use a breather.
Mohammed Shami and Prasidh Krishna could replace the fast-bowling duo, although the latter isn't part of India's provisional World Cup 2023 squad.
Kuldeep Yadav, who has scalped nine wickets in his last two matches, will once again be the lead spinner.
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