Updated: 07 July 2023
Indian Men’s Cricket Team’s Probable Squad For The Asian Games 2023: The 19th Asian Games are commencing from September 23 to October 8, 2023. The tournament’s dates are going to clash with the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup happening in India from October 5 to November 19 this year.
India is set to make history by sending both men’s and women’s cricket teams to participate in this year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. The BCCI is set to send both men’s and women’s teams to the quadrennial event this year. However, due to the clash with the 2023 World Cup, the men’s team will consist of second-squad players.
In this edition of the Asian Games, we may witness the emergence of breakthrough stars such as Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma, and Tilak Verma. India’s batting squad could also benefit from Nitish Rana’s experience. Players such as KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, and Jasprit Bumrah are currently injured, which increases the likelihood of their exclusion from the World Cup squad.
There is a slim chance for players like Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, and Umran Malik to be included in the squad. If he recovers from his injury, Prasidh Krishna may secure a place in the team. Deepak Hooda and Washington Sundar, who have been part of the T20 squad, also have a chance to make it to the Asian Games squad.
Also Read: Asian Games 2023: Details, Schedule, Format, Broadcast And Venue
Shikhar Dhawan May Lead Team India Squad
Veteran Indian batsman Shikhar Dhawan will be the perfect fit to lead the Indian B Team for the Asian Games, as he has done on numerous occasions in the ODI format when the Indian First team players were busy with T20 games. He will play a crucial role in leading the young squad.
The ICC ODI World Cup saw Dhawan score 537 runs over 10 innings, a record he has achieved in multiple tournaments around the world. He was the highest run-scorer in India’s victorious run in the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 and has come in clutch in plenty of high-pressure games in the past.
Dhawan has scored 17 centuries and 39 half-centuries in 163 ODI innings and averages 44.11 runs. The Asian Games might give him a good opportunity to further cement his legacy in the Indian cricketing landscape.
Indian Men’s Cricket Team’s 15-man predicted squad for Asian Games 2023 is as follows:
Shikhar Dhawan (Captain), Shivam Dube, Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Deepak Hooda, Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma (Wicket Keeper), Krunal Pandya, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshal Patel, Prasidh Krishna, Deepak Chahar
