- Thursday, February 27, 2025
India will play Pakistan in their opening match in the competition in Kandy, Sri Lanka, on September 2.
By: Shubham Ghosh
ACE India batters KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer were on Monday (21) picked in India’s national squad for the upcoming Asia Cup tournament in Pakistan and Sri Lanka while Tilak Varma earned his maiden call-up to the 50-over format.
Both Rahul and Iyer are making a comeback after undergoing surgeries on thigh and back, respectively. While Rahul last played in May, Iyer’s latest appearance in the national team happened in May.
Here's the Rohit Sharma-led team for the upcoming #AsiaCup2023 ?#TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/TdSyyChB0b
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 21, 2023
Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson was also selected as a back-up for Rahul who has developed a niggle recently.
“It is not the original injury. There is a niggle. That is why Sanju is travelling (to Sri Lanka). We are expecting Rahul to be fit. If not the start of Asia cup may be by the second or the third game. Shreyas Iyer is fully fit,” said chief selector Ajit Agarkar after announcing the squad in New Delhi.
India captain Rohit Sharma, who will led the side in Asia Cup, was also seen in a press conference that Agarkar attended.
Pacer Prasidh Krishna, who made a comeback from injury with the ongoing series in Ireland, has also been included in the Asia Cup squad. Varma has made the cut on the back of an impressive run in his maiden T20 series in the West Indies. The 20-year-old is currently with the T20 squad in Ireland.
Jasprit Bumrah, who missed international cricket for 11 months before returning to the national side as the captain in the series against Ireland, was also picked.
Hardik Pandya was picked as the vice captain. Ace batter Virat Kohli was also in the side.
Spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was excluded, along with veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
The tournament will kick off in Multan in Pakistan on August 31 with a game between Pakistan and debutantes Nepal. India will kick off their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan in Kandy, Sri Lanka, on September 2. The other teams in the fray are Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
The final will be played in Colombo on September 17.
India have won Asia Cup the most number of times — seven — but failed to make the final in the 2022 edition.
India squad for Asia Cup: Rohit Sharma (captain), Gill, Kohli, Sheryas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Jasprit Bumrah, Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson (back up to Rahul).
