Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has offered bold insights into the future of the Indian cricket team, asserting that established players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will not remain in the squad for an extended period. His remarks came while discussing his predictions for India’s upcoming Asia Cup squad.
The Indian team’s recent tour of the West Indies ended with mixed results, as they lost the five-match T20I series 3-2 but secured a series victory in the ODI format with a 2-1 scoreline. Harbhajan Singh, speaking on his official YouTube channel, expressed his surprise and concern over the West Indies’ victory and suggested that it’s an accomplishment for the Caribbean side but a matter of concern for India.
He particularly highlighted the absence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma during the limited-overs series and implied that their tenure in the team might be limited. However, Singh also emphasized that the young Indian squad that toured the West Indies has the opportunity to learn and grow from the experience.
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“Although I expected India to win the series easily, the outcome has left many shocked and concerned. West Indies, a team that didn’t qualify for the World Cup, defeated us. While this is a significant achievement for West Indies, it’s a major concern for India. While Kohli and Rohit were absent, and they won’t remain for long, the young brigade that toured the West Indies can learn a lot from this. I’ve previously mentioned that India can field 2-3 teams, and they still can. However, the results have yet to manifest,” stated Harbhajan Singh.
Harbhajan Singh’s Predicted India Squad for Asia Cup 2023:
Rohit Sharma (C), 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.
Despite Pakistan hosting the Asia Cup 2023, ongoing political tensions between the neighboring nations have led India to host all their matches in Sri Lanka. The marquee encounter between India and Pakistan is set to unfold on September 2nd at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Sri Lanka.