No KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer as experts pick their India squad for Asia Cup 2023

Asia Cup 2023 begins on August 30 and will be played in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The Asia Cup 2023 tournament is just a few days away and everyone is waiting with bated breath for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to announce the Indian team squad for the event. The tournament will be played in hybrid model in Pakistan and Sri Lanka from August 30 onwards.

Pakistan will host 3 league stage matches and one Super Four encounter, while the rest of the matches including those of India and the final will be played in Sri Lanka.

Ahead of the Asia Cup 2023, former India cricketers Ravi Shastri, MSK Prasad, and Sandeep Patil revealed their choice of players for the India squad with a focus on Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer’s fitness.

While Bumrah will make his India comeback on the T20I tour of Ireland and will captain the side as well; the question mark still lingers on the fitness of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, as despite beginning practice in match simulation, the NCA is yet to declare them fully fit.

As Shastri, Prasad, and Patil got together to pick the 15-member squad during a discussion on Star Sports, they decided to snub both Rahul and Iyer.

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Talking about the team, Ravi Shastri snubbed Shubman Gill and picked Ishan Kishan as Rohit Sharma’s opening partner. He took the call to have a right-left hand combination at the top.

Patil, however, disagreed with Shastri as he said: “I will go with Shubman Gill looking at his form. I understand the argument that Ravi and MSK made (in favor of Kishan). But it is very important for the team’s sake. I don’t agree that Rohit Sharma will be more comfortable with a left-handed opening partner. Gill should open with him.”

Shastri further said: “Sandy has a very good point. We talked about Kishan doing well. Shubman Gill has had a fabulous 2023. This is where that flexibility comes in. This is where you have to see the player’s frame of mind. How will Shubman Gill feel if asked to bat No.3 or No.4 as opposed to batting at the top? No one owns a position. If Virat has to bat at four, he will bat at four for the team.”

Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Shubman Gill were picked in the top order, followed by Virat Kohli with Kishan and Rohit opening the innings.

Virat Kohli was demoted to number four followed by Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav. Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and Akshar Patel are the three allrounders in the team.

As for pure spinners, the trio picked Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav together.

In the pace department, the trio of Mohammad Shami, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, and the fit-again Jasprit Bumrah were picked.

India's 15-member squad for Asia Cup 2023 by experts:

Ishan Kishan (WK), Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma (C), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah

(Star Sports inputs)