5 Indian players who could make their ODI debut in the Asia Cup

The 2018 Asia Cup will get under on September 15 in the United Arab Emirates and India are one of the five teams and six qualifiers who will be taking part in the tournament.

The Indian team is currently in England where they have played three T20Is, three ODIs and playing a five-match Test series. The Men in Blue have been playing non-stop cricket for a while now and they have certain areas that are needed to be addressed ahead of the World Cup.

So, one can expect the Indian selectors to rest a few players for the tournament and give a chance to the fringe players to prove themselves. Let us take a look at five players who could be named in the Indian squad for the Asia Cup and get their maiden ODI cap.

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Krunal Pandya

Krunal Pandya

Ever since making his debut for Mumbai Indians in the 2016 IPL, Krunal Pandya has become a familiar name among the Indian fans. The all-rounder, who is the elder brother of Indian regular Hardik Pandya, has been doing well consistently with both bat and ball.

In the three IPL seasons he has played so far, Krunal has scored 708 runs at an average of close to 30 and a strike-rate of 154 and with the ball, he has taken 28 wickets at an economy of 7.12.

He was rewarded with a place in the India A side for their tri-series against England Lions and West Indies A that took place in England last month and did well with both bat and ball. His unbeaten 34 against the Lions in the final of the tournament and his 49 against Australia A in the ongoing quadrangular series involving South Africa A and India B as the other two teams showed that he is matured enough to be an international cricketer and he is someone who doesn't succumb under pressure.

With India in search of a third spinner and a batsman who can bat at number 6 in ODIs, giving Krunal a go in the upcoming Asia Cup won't be a bad idea given the fact that he is capable of scoring runs with the bat and bowling some overs when needed, taking the pressure off his younger brother, who is now forced to bowl 10 overs in every game.

Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant is one of the players who is destined for greatness. The left-hander became a household name during the 2016 under-19 World Cup and since then, he has done well whenever he got a chance.

He was also rewarded with a place in the Indian T20I side and has played four T20I games so far. He is yet to replicate his domestic success with the bat at the top level yet. The 2018 IPL saw him go on a leather hunt as he scored 684 runs in 14 games at an average of 52.61 and a strike-rate of 174.

He carried on his form in the subsequent matches for India A in England and his unbeaten 64 in the finals of the tournament followed by three consecutive fifties in the first-class matches against West Indies A and England Lions helped him earn a place in the Test squad for the tour of England and even went on to make his debut for India in whites.

Pant is someone who can be tried out in the struggling Indian middle-order and Asia Cup provides him with a good platform for him to make a case for himself if he is picked in the Indian side.

Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj has played three T20Is for India without much success but he is a way better bowler than what his numbers suggest.

He is yet to play a single ODI and he is likely to be picked in the side for Asia Cup as there are more chances of the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar (injury), Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami getting a rest after a hectic tour of England.

The Hyderabad pacer has been doing well for India A of late in both FC and List A games as he took 29 wickets in four FC games against England Lions, West Indies A and South Africa A and followed it up with a four-wicket haul in the first match of the quadrangular series against Australia A.

Mayank Agarwal

Mayank Agarwal

Mayank Agarwal should consider himself unlucky as he has been regularly omitted from selection for India in spite of scoring 2162 runs in 32 innings at an average of 67.56 per innings in a single domestic season (across all three formats), which is the most by any batsman in India.

He has continued his good form with India A in England and followed it up in the series against South Africa A. He could be picked in the Indian side for the Asia Cup as a replacement for Shikhar Dhawan, who could be rested after playing non-stop cricket over the last year and a half.

Deepak Chahar

Deepak Chahar

The 2018 IPL proved to a massive turning point in Deepak Chahar's career, who after having a fantastic Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament prior to the T20 extravaganza, was named in the Indian T20I side (Jasprit Bumrah's replacement) to face England and even made his debut in the series decider.

Deepak has the ability to swing the new ball both ways, something that was clearly evident from his IPL performances this year, and he has also started to generate reverse swing with the old ball during his stint with India A.

He could be given a chance in the Asia Cup as he is someone who is Bhuvneshwar Kumar's perfect replacement if the Uttar Pradesh pacer is not risked for the multi-national tournament.