'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Team India suffered a setback in their quest to defend their Asia Cup title as Pakistan defeated them by five wickets at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, September 4.
In the absence of Ravindra Jadeja, who suffered a knee injury that ruled him out of the tournament, India needed to make a few changes to ensure team balance and make the most of the match-ups presented to them. They didn't pay off, although Ravi Bishnoi impressed with a threatening spell.
India's performances in the Asia Cup have made it very clear that they're still some way from identifying the right combination and personnel for the T20 World Cup, which will commence next month in Australia. They might need to make some last-minute selections to ensure that their campaign in the marquee ICC event doesn't go like it did in 2021.
Here are three players who might soon be recalled to India's T20I side.
#3 Washington Sundar
A player who has been plagued by injuries in the recent past, Washington Sundar was ruled out of the Zimbabwe ODIs that took place prior to the Asia Cup due to a shoulder issue. The young all-rounder hence lost the chance to make his first international appearance since February, when he featured in an ODI against the West Indies.
Sundar hasn't played a T20I since March 2021, and his Indian Premier League campaign with the SunRisers Hyderabad was also hit by a recurring spate of finger injuries. However, he remains one of the best defensive bowlers in the shortest format of the game, to go with his improving batting.
With Jadeja injured, India are on the lookout for finger-spinning all-rounders, especially those who can turn the ball into the right-hander and complement the leg-spin of Yuzvendra Chahal. They have Ravichandran Ashwin and Deepak Hooda in the Asia Cup squad, but Sundar offers a different dimension and is arguably more complete.
If the 22-year-old can rid himself of his injury troubles in the near future, he could stand an outside chance of earning himself a ticket on the plane to Australia. Even if he doesn't make the T20 World Cup squad, it won't be long before Sundar is seen in action for India in T20I cricket.
#2 Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan was on his way to becoming a regular member of the Indian white-ball side, but a series of low scores saw him lose favor with the selectors. Although he played the Zimbabwe ODIs and a tour game with the T20I team, he found himself behind Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik in the pecking order for the Asia Cup.
But given India's struggles to accommodate a left-hander somewhere in their batting lineup, Kishan might be back sooner than expected. Pant has failed to deliver on his promise, and the team management apparently do not view him as a long-term opening option since they promoted Suryakumar Yadav to the top of the order after just two games for the southpaw.
Capable of batting at various positions, Kishan could worm his way back into the side. He shares a good relationship with his franchise captain and opening partner Rohit Sharma, and KL Rahul's lack of intent as an opener might force India to make some bold calls. The 24-year-old has a long career ahead of him, and the Men in Blue are likely to invest in his immense potential sometime soon.
#1 Mohammad Shami
The pace department has been one of India's biggest concerns at the Asia Cup. They picked only three quicks – Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, and Avesh Khan – as Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel were ruled out due to injury.
Unfortunately for India, Avesh has been nothing short of woeful. The young fast bowler has witnessed a drop in pace to go with a complete lack of faith in his variations and an inability to bowl to his fields on a consistent basis. Arshdeep has been more impressive, but even he hasn't picked up bags of wickets and has had the odd bad game. Even Hardik Pandya, who was impressive in the group-stage game against Pakistan, was plundered by the same opposition in the Super 4.
India don't really have many pace options at the moment. Prasidh Krishna is injured, while Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar are far from complete T20 bowlers. Umran Malik is probably still too raw for international cricket, while Indian Premier League stars like Mohsin Khan and Khaleel Ahmed are not yet in contention.
It might be time for India to recall Mohammad Shami, who hasn't played a T20I since last year's T20 World Cup. The veteran pacer has played only a handful of games in the format but he's still lethal with the new ball, as evidenced by his 20 wickets in the 2022 Indian Premier League for the Gujarat Titans. Shami's hit-the-deck style and seam presentation could be just what India need to complement Bhuvneshwar, Arshdeep, Bumrah, and Harshal.
