Team India for Asia Cup announced
Today in Mumbai, the All-India Senior Selection Committee held a meeting to determine which players would represent India at the 2018 Asia Cup, scheduled to begin in the UAE on September 15th.
Following a joint discussion with team management, it was unanimously agreed that Virat Kohli should be rested. Consequently, Rohit Sharma has been appointed captain for the event, with Shikhar Dhawan taking on the role of vice-captain.
The official Indian roster for the 2018 Asia Cup consists of: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan (Vice-Captain), KL Rahul, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (Wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, and Khaleel Ahmed.India’s squad for Asia Cup 2018: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Khaleel Ahmed
The event begins on September 15th and concludes with the final on September 28th. Competing alongside India are Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and a qualifier.
The selectors clarified that the decision to omit Virat Kohli was based on his heavy schedule. Because he has played nearly every single match across all formats recently, the team wants to avoid burnout and keep him fresh for future challenges.
Speaking after the announcement, MSK Prasad mentioned that two or three positions are still up in the air. He highlighted that they are specifically looking for a left-handed seamer, mentioning Khaleel as a candidate, and will use the upcoming matches to finalize the lineup as they prepare for the World Cup.
MS Dhoni retains his role as the primary wicket-keeper, with Dinesh Karthik as the backup option. Additionally, Kedar Jadhav makes his return to the squad after successfully recovering from a hamstring injury.