On Monday, the BCCI revealed the 15 players selected for the 2022 Asia Cup. Immediately after the news broke, Krishnamachari Srikkanth, a former Indian opener, questioned if Dinesh Karthik would actually make the starting XI. Although Karthik is 37, his return to the national team has been stellar, as he has excelled in the finisher role and helped secure key victories.
Speaking with Star Sports, Srikkanth mapped out his ideal playing eleven and indicated that Karthik might only be there as a substitute. The former captain expressed significant doubt that Karthik would get an opportunity to play in the Asia Cup matches.
Srikkanth's proposed lineup begins with Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja. He placed Yuzvendra Chahal at the number eight spot, rounding out the bowling attack with medium-pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh.
According to Srikkanth, the most effective combination would involve bringing in Deepak Hooda to act as a versatile floater in the batting order.
He cautioned that selecting three spinners would be a mistake, as a balance of three pacers and three spinners would feel excessive. While Srikkanth remained unconvinced about Karthik's place in the starting eleven, Kiran More, a member of the selection panel, took a different stance. More argued that if Karthik isn't intended for the starting lineup, there is little reason for him to be in the squad at all.