Players who should be rested and tested for Asia Cup

This year’s highlight in the world of cricket will be the upcoming ODI World Cup but before that there is Asia Cup. Ten teams collide with each other for supremacy in the most thrilling and entertaining format of cricket. The Indian Premier League has almost come to an end and team India is scheduled to play the WTC Finals against Australia after that. 

However, before the ODI World Cup, team India’s focus will be on the upcoming Asia Cup which is scheduled to start from 2nd September and the final game will take place on the 17th September. This year, the event will be hosted by India’s arch-rival Pakistan.

Asia Cup 2023 will be played in ODI format this time and it can be used as a preparation for the ODI World Cup by team India.

In this article, we have compiled a list of three players who would be rested and three players who should be tested for the Asia Cup.

1) Virat Kohli (Rested)

Virat Kohli is making headlines again with his fantabulous comeback in all the forms of cricket. For almost two and a half years, Virat Kohli struggled to make an impact on his team, and because of the same reason he lost his captaincy as well. Even though he is India’s fittest player, BCCI and the selection should think of giving him a rest and suggest he prepare for the ODI World Cup and the pressure of the tournament. The rest will give Kohli a chance to understand his weakness in the ODI format and rectify them before the beginning of the tournament.

2) Shubman Gill (Tested)

In recent times, Shubman Gill has come out as one of the best options to open the game for Team India. He has been in brilliant form in the past year and his aggressive style of batting has helped Team India in a lot of ODI fixtures. Gill’s performance doesn’t need to be tested, as he has proved himself in the past, but Asia Cup can be an opportunity for GIll to play under pressure and prepare himself for the ODI World Cup.

3) Mohammed Shami (Rested)

In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah from the pace attack, Mohammed Shami has taken the responsibility of the pace attack on his shoulders. Shami has come out as the most dependable bowler in the last year and he has maintained the consistency of his quality bowling. In IPL as well, Shami has picked up 26 wickets in 15 games and he is leading the race for the Purple Cap. A good amount of rest for him during the Asia Cup campaign will help the bowler to get enough rest and prepare himself for the big fight in the ODI World Cup.

4) Jasprit Bumrah (Tested)

There are still speculations on Jasprit Bumrah’s health and his participation in the Asia Cup 2023. Bumrah has been out since July 2022 and has missed out on major tournaments like Asia Cup 2022, T20 World Cup, and the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Bumrah will also miss the WTC Final against Australia. If Bumrah is declared fit for the Asia Cup, BCCI should choose him for the tournament so that he can be tested for ODI and Bumrah himself can prepare for the most elite tournament.

5) Hardik Pandya (Rested)

Hardik Pandya has reached new heights since his return from the injury in 2021-22. Pandya made his comeback in IPL in style and led Gujarat Titans to glory in their debut season. Not only that, BCCI is now looking forward to Hardik Pandya’s leadership in the T20 format. He has been consistent with his allrounder skills and to make sure he doesn’t suffer another injury, Pandya should be rested during the Asia Cup schedule.

6) Ishan Kishan (Tested)

Ishan Kishan has proved his worth in the T20 cricket whenever he has gotten a chance. He also made headlines with his double century in the ODI format against Bangladesh in December 2022. At the age of 24, Ishan Kishan can be a valuable asset for the team and Asia Cup is the best tournament where his talent can be tested under pressure for the ODI World Cup. If in case, any batsman suffers an injury before the ODI World Cup, Ishan can be a good option to replace him.