Asia Cup 2023: Three Areas of Concern for Team India

The Indian Premier League is almost over and now that international cricket will shift its focus towards the ODI World Cup. Before the ODI World Cup, team India will be participating in WTC Final against Australia, and after that men in Blue is scheduled to play the most prestigious Asia Cup 2023 tournament. The Asia Cup traditionally involves six teams: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and a qualifier team from the ACC. The participating teams may vary depending on qualification matches and the decision of the ACC. This year, the sixth team Nepal will be part of Group A with India and Pakistan, and in Group B, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka will be taking the heat.

The format of the Asia Cup has varied over the years. Initially, it was a tournament where all the participating teams played each other in a round-robin format, followed by knockout stages. However, in recent editions, the tournament has adopted different formats, including group stages followed by a Super Four or Super Six stage, leading to a final. Asia Cup 2022 was a T20 format tournament but this year it will be played in the ODI format. The authorities are still figuring out the venue for the tournament but the tournament will be hosted by Pakistan.

Team India has seen success in the Asia Cup tournament as they have won seven titles. However, since 2018, men in blue have not seen the light. This year again, team India is one of the biggest contenders for the trophy but there are still some issues that team management will be concerned about. In this article, we have compiled a list of three major problems with Team India as of now.

1) Inconsistency of Skipper Rohit Sharma

In 2022, Rohit Sharma was chosen as the leading man for team India and he has done a fairly good job in international cricket. However, the leader of the squad has himself struggled to play a solid inning for his team in recent times. Rohit Sharma is known for his impeccable technique at the crease. He has a solid base and maintains excellent balance while playing his shots. His footwork is precise, allowing him to maneuver in the crease and adjust to different deliveries. However, the Hitman has struggled to bring his aggression on the field and has not played a match-winning inning for the team. As an opening batter, he is expected from him to provide a balanced start to the team and not pressure the middle order. Team management will be keeping a close eye on his performance would hope that he regains his form as soon as possible.

2) Absence of Jasprit Bumrah

Bumrah is highly proficient in bowling accurately and toe-crushing yorkers. He has mastered the art of delivering yorkers at different stages of the innings, making him a potent weapon in limited-overs cricket. Bumrah also possesses a wide array of slower deliveries, varying in pace and length, which further adds to his effectiveness in deceiving batsmen. However, since his absence, the fear of Indian bowling has gone from the hearts of international teams. Bumrah is currently struggling with his back injury and he is not expected to join the team in the Asia Cup. In his absence, Mohammed Shami has taken the responsibility on his shoulders and he has been successful in his performance but the whole team can’t be dependent on only one bowler.

3) KL Rahul’s Injury and His Rusty Form

KL Rahul is one of the most elegant batters in team India who has established himself as one of the most dependent Indian players in all the formats of the game. However, during IPL, KL Rahul got injured and had to miss the whole IPL. BCCI expects him to get back in shape before Asia Cup but the major concern is his declining form. KL Rahul has not played a solid inning for Team India for almost a year. Team management would want him to focus more and get his old form back in the Asia Cup so that he is prepared for the ODI World Cup.