Asia Cup 2018: India's Predicted Starting XI

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a strong 16-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup which is set to start on15th of September in United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Interestingly rather very aptly, Virat Kohli has been rested for the tournament owing to his extensive workload which has taken a toll on Virat's fitness in the recent past. As a result, Rohit Sharma has been named the captain for the tournament. Meanwhile, Shikhar Dhawan has been named the deputy to Rohit Sharma.

With a lot of prominent options in the Indian squad for Asia Cup, selecting a starting XI will remain an uphill task for the Indian management. Thus, let us look at the probable starting XI for Asia Cup.

India's Squad for Asia Cup 2018: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shikhar Dhawan (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Y Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, and Khaleel Ahmed.

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Openers: Rohit Sharma (C) and Shikhar Dhawan

Unquestionably, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan will be facing the opening music for India in the upcoming Asia Cup. Moreover, after having assumed the captaincy for Asia Cup, Rohit is least likely to tinker the opening combination for the Asia Cup.

Rohit has had a mediocre ODI series against England where raked up 154 runs from three innings which also include a solitary century. Hence, cometh the Asia Cup, Hitman will look to lead from the front and will undoubtedly prove to be a key player for India.

On the other hand, Shikhar Dhawan had an on-off ODI series against England where he looked good but failed to convert his starts into the fifties and hundreds. Nevertheless, the deputy to Rohit Sharma would be looking forward to the Asia Cup with an eagerness to perform well for India.

Hence, no questions asked, the Rohit-Dhawan seems a straightforward affair for the Asia Cup.

Middle-order: Ambati Rayadu, Manish Pandey, and MS Dhoni (WK)

Resting Virat Kohli might have irked the Indian fans but there much more to it than we see. Having rested Virat, India would have plenty of options to play in the middle-order.

Potentially, the middle-order is expected to feature Ambati Rayadu and Manish Pandey. In the recent past, both Manish and Ambati have been in great form and look good to perform at the international circuit once again.

Ambati Rayadu got himself a place in the ODI squad against England owing to his fantastic performances for CSK in IPL 2018. However, a Yo-Yo test failure irked his exclusion from the ODI squad. But, as we say, hard work always pays and so did happen with Ambati who got drafted in the Asia Cup squad. Rayadu will prove to be a decent option for India in the middle-order. Thus, his inclusion in the starting XI will come as no surprise.

On the other hand, Manish Pandey who finished as one of the top run-getters in the recently concluded Quadrangular series was called back to India squad for Asia Cup. With some good form on his side, Pandey looks determined to make his comeback to the Indian ODI setup with an improved performance in the upcoming Asia Cup.

Although MS Dhoni has faced a lot of fire for his recent performances in the ODI series against England, he remains to be a vital cog in the Indian setup with an experience that he carries along with him. Moreover, his performances from IPL suggest that he has lot offer on the plate for India. Hence, the justification for his place in the starting XI.

All-rounders: Kedar Jadhav and Hardik Pandya

After having left out Raina from the Asia Cup squad, Kedar Jadhav will prove to be the alternative for India in the tournament. With matches played to be in UAE, Kedar might come handy with his Malinga-like bowling action. Besides, he could also add to the strength of the Indian middle-order with his decent batting skills.

Hardik Pandya will have a significant role to play in the upcoming Asia Cup. Although Pandya has been blowing hot and cold in the recent past, he has all the credentials to perform as an all-rounder who can steal the game from the oppositions with his bowling as well as batting. Thus, Pandya's inclusion in the starting XI for the Asia Cup looks a sure shot thing.

Spinners: Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal

The spin twins, fondly known as Kul-Cha, has had done an exceptional job for India in the recent scheme of ODI games. The spin duo has been the principal figure of the Indian spin department for quite some time now. Kuldeep and Chahal have been complementing each other quite well.

In addition to that, the nature of the tracks in the UAE provides a prominent reason for their inclusion in the playing XI for the upcoming tournament. Thus, Kuldeep and Chahal are here to stay in the starting XI for Asia Cup.

Pacers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, the fast bowling specialists, have the been the back of the Indian bowling line-up for quite a time now. These two bowling veterans form a formidable pace duet who have been doing wonders for India in the limited overs format.

Bhuvi and Bumrah have proclaimed to be one of the best death bowlers at the moment which is what makes this line-up more threatening for the opposition.

Thus, with Bhuvneshwar perfectly fit and Bumrah in some ominous form with the ball, the duo is set to find a place in the playing XI without any hesitation.