India’s squad for Asia Cup 2022: Predicting 15-man squad ahead of official announcement

August 5 dmanewsdesk: The countdown for the 2022 Asia Cup has begun, with the multi-team tournament set to start in UAE from August 27. While a few participating nations have already announced their squads for the tournament and the announcement doesn’t seem far away from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

In fact, the BCCI is likely to name the 15-man squad on Monday. But, who will get the nod?

There isn’t a lot of scope for changes in the Indian team. About 80% of the squad seems to be fixed, with only a few spots left to be sealed. As far as the certainties go, the list starts with the opening duo of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul while Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav will follow them in the batting order.

Shreyas Iyer and Deepak Hooda are the two reserve middle-order batters but only one of them can make the cut for the Asia Cup. Hooda has done really well in the limited opportunities he has gotten. It remains to be seen if the selection committee gives him the opportunity to shine on the big stage.
Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, and Ravindra Jadeja come next in the list as far as finisher’s go while Dinesh Karthik is likely to be in the mix as well.
In the bowling department, there remains some scope for improvement. Barring Jadeja, no spinner’s place is secure although Yuzvedra Chahal should get into the team purely on the basis of his recent performances. In UAE, a third spinner is also important. That spot is likely be contested between Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin although Ravi Bishnoi could also be in the mix.

In the pace unit, Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are certain picks while Harshal Patel should also get into the team on the basis of merit. Considering it is going to be a 15-man squad, only one of Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan can get the nod. In all likeliness, the left-arm seamer will be preferred in this case.
India’s likely 15-man squad for Asia Cup 2022:
Openers: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul
Middle order: Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer/Deepak Hooda
Wicketkeeper: Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik
All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja
Pacers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel
Spinners: Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravichandran Ashwin/Axar Patel