It has been officially announced that VVS Laxman will be the coach of the Indian Men’s Team for the Asian Games 2023, which is set to be held in Hangzhou, China, from September 19 to October 7. The team will be led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, as the main Indian team will be participating in the ODI World Cup 2023.
In addition to Gaikwad, the squad will include players like Arshdeep Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, and Rinku Singh. India will directly enter the Continental Games from the quarterfinal round due to their position in the ICC T20I Rankings.
Senior players such as Shikhar Dhawan and Ravichandran Ashwin have not been included in the squad. Dhawan, known for his impressive performances in ICC tournaments, has recently dropped down the pecking order as the team management has been backing younger players. The 37-year-old is currently at the NCA focusing on his fitness, even though he was not selected for the West Indies tour.
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The Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel has shown faith in the young squad, keeping an eye on the future. Gaikwad, who is expected to take over the captaincy of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) after MS Dhoni’s retirement, has been entrusted with the leadership role. The CSK opening batter had a successful IPL season and also has experience in captaincy, leading the Maharashtra side.
On the other hand, the Indian Women’s Team will be at full strength with no prior commitments. Harmanpreet Kaur’s side is scheduled to travel to Bangladesh in July, and the Asian Games is likely to be the first assignment for the incoming head coach.
India’s Men Squad for Asian Games 2023
Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Mukesh Kumar, Shivam Mavi, Shivam Dube, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul Tripathi, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh.