Asia Cup 2018: How will Rohit Sharma and Co. line up against Hong Kong?

With some players arriving late for preparation and with India playing a crucial encounter on the very next day against Pakistan, the men in blue may look to rest some of the bowlers against Hong Kong and also try a few combinations in the batting order. So, let's see what can be the playing XI that India might field tomorrow.

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Openers: Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma

Shikhar Dhawan would be looking to get back to form after a poor England tour

India will definitely go with their regular limited overs opening pair and would like them to score few runs. As Rohit Sharma has been on rest for some time now, it would be perfect match practice for him whereas Shikhar Dhawan might just rediscover that his bat consists of a middle part too and not just the edges.

Middle order: KL Rahul, MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik

MS Dhoni will be key for India in the middle order

With a brilliant century in the final innings of the fifth Test and with Virat Kohli's absence it is quite certain that India might give KL Rahul another go at the No. 3 position and see how he fares. There has been a lot of talk of MS Dhoni batting at No. 4. With India having a fragile middle order, we can see Dhoni bat at No.4 throughout the tournament.

Ambati Rayudu has been brought back to the team but since Dinesh Karthik has been in and around for a longer period now, India may well start with him and go to Rayudu in case the former fails.

Lower order: Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya

Jadhav's comeback would be a huge relief for the team

Kedar Jadhav's comeback will give a much-needed boost to the team down the order and a better balance too with his few overs, especially in those dry conditions. Before his injury, he was certain in this team but as now India looks forward to the World Cup, he might have to prove his worth in this tournament.

After a poor Test series in England barring one Test, Hardik Pandya would love to silence his critics and get back to form from the get-go. What better than a match against a relatively weak team to do so?

Tailenders: Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shardul Thakur and Khaleel Ahmed

The speedster might get to make his International Debut against Hong Kong

Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal would want to have a look at how the pitches behave in UAE, so they both look likely to be in the playing XI on Tuesday.

After remaining unused throughout the series in England Shardul Thakur may just get his due reward as India would like to keep their premier fast bowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah fit for the crucial encounter against Pakistan as there is no gap between the matches.

That rest will also mean an International debut for the youngster Khaleel Ahmed who has been picked on the basis of consistently good performances in the domestic circuit. He might just get a regular spot in this team if he performs well as India don't have any left-arm seamer who can add variety to the attack.