Asia Cup 2018: Sanjay Manjrekar wants two main Indian players to be rested against Afghanistan

India has already qualified for the Asia Cup 2018 final.

Sanjay Manjrekar | GETTY

India has been playing back to back matches in extreme heat in the United Arab Emirates in the ongoing Asia Cup 2018. They have already qualified for the finals and hence it will be easy for them to experiment in their final game of super four against Afghanistan. 

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has asked for a couple of changes in the Indian team. He wants India to test their bench strength.

The first change he suggested is Shikhar Dhawan, the in-form Indian opener, for KL Rahul. Rahul has been left out of the playing XI and hasn't featured in a single game yet.

“Rest Shikhar Dhawan and play KL Rahul instead because you want to know what Rahul is all about. You have got to keep him involved. As I said before, he is a class player and just needs to be kept constantly involved in the team. India should try their bench strength. If Rahul gets a 100 against Afghanistan, he will feel confident the next time he gets an opportunity against a stronger team. There is no point in anyone (Dhawan in this case) carrying the form because he’s already doing exceptionally well,” Manjrekar said to ESPN Cricinfo.

Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah should also be rested, as per Manjrekar. He wants Khaleel Ahmed, the left-arm pacer who picked up three wickets in his debut against Hong Kong, to play in the next game. “And I think Jasprit Bumrah can also be rested for maybe Khaleel Ahmed. He needs to be rested and played judiciously.”

India will face the winner of Bangladesh and Pakistan in the finals on September 28th. 

 
 

By Sihyeu Singh - 25 Sep, 2018

    Share Via