Jasprit Bumrah is all set to lead an inexperienced Indian squad during the three T20Is against Ireland in Dublin, with the series opener taking place on August 18. However, the main focus is already shifting towards the upcoming 50-over Asia Cup, set to kick off on August 30.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka will jointly host this continental championship, which will feature a unique format. The tournament will begin with a match between Pakistan and Nepal. As India gears up for the home ODI World Cup 2023, starting on October 5 in Ahmedabad, the Asia Cup will serve as valuable preparation.
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As we await the announcement of the Indian squad, experts have already shared their thoughts on how the team might shape up. Notable figures like Ravi Shastri, Sandeep Patil, and MSK Prasad have given their input on the potential 15-member squad.
In line with this ongoing discussion, Harbhajan Singh has also revealed his own 15-player Indian team for the upcoming multi-nation tournament. His selection choices include some surprises and exclusions.
Shifting to the Asia Cup topic, Harbhajan Singh directed his focus toward assembling his favored 15-player squad. The cricketer hailing from Jalandhar expressed his backing for including Suryakumar Yadav in the middle order, and he also gave his endorsement to Tilak Varma, acknowledging Varma’s impressive performances in T20Is during his debut for the Indian team. However, he opted to leave out Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson from his chosen squad.
Interestingly, Harbhajan did opt to include KL Rahul in his selection, citing reports of the wicketkeeper-batsman’s regained match fitness.
Harbhajan Singh’s 15-man India squad for Asia Cup:
Rohit Sharma (v), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, KL Rahul, Akshar Patel (16th man)