Asia Cup 2022: Analysis of Team India and their chances

Follow us on

IND vs PAK: The number one ranked T20I team in world cricket India as of now is stationed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to play the Asia Cup. Team India will play their first game against arch-rivals Pakistan on August 28, 2022, at the Dubai International Stadium. So far, after the conclusion of the Indian Premier League, India has participated in 15 T20I matches (5 vs South Africa, 2 vs Ireland, 3 vs England, and 5 vs West Indies). Out of them, India has managed to win 10 games (2 against South Africa, 2 against Ireland, 2 against England, and 4 against West Indies). They lost just 4 (2 against South Africa, 1 against England, and 1 against West Indies) and 1 match against South Africa was washed out due to rain. 

Team India has completely altered their style of playing. The Rohit Sharma-led side has completely altered its style of playing and has adopted an aggressive style. For a long time, India has been criticized for how they approach the shortest format of the game but as of now, it feels like they will continue with their aggressive gameplay, both in the Asia Cup and in the World Cup that will be played in Australia later this year. This year's Asia Cup which is being played in the T20I format will act as a dress rehearsal for the World Cup that will be played in October.

The last time when both the teams clashed, Pakistan got the better of India and defeated India by a heavy margin of 10 wickets. The scars of this defeat remain fresh in the minds of the Indian team. Interestingly, this match was played at the Dubai International Stadium, the same venue which will host both India and Pakistan in the opening match of Group A. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the Indian team on August 8, 2022, with Rohit Sharma leading the pack.

ALSO READ | Virat Kohli@100, Indian legend braces himself for marquee tournament as he goes big in nets

Here is a quick analysis of the Indian squad, diving into their strengths and weaknesses

The positives: India is currently the number 1 ranked T20I team and has reached the heights on the back of a stupendous run post the T20I World Cup. The Indian contingency led by Rohit Sharma will heavily rely on the top 3 that feature the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul. With a technician like Suryakumar Yadav walking out at number 4, a player who can smack the ball to all parts of the ground, makes India's case and chances in the tournament look even better. Gujarat Titans skipper and all-rounder Hardik Pandya has returned to full fitness and if he can bowl his quota of four overs, he will bring about an impeccable balance to the team considering the flare in his batting. On the other hand, there is leg-spinner Yuzi Chahal who can strike in the middle overs and apply breaks on the scoring of the opposition. Lately, Indian seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has shown us how destructive he can be with his swinging deliveries. Kumar certainly isn't the one who will depend on conditions to favor him and when on song, he can be destructive and can be extremely difficult to score runs off.

The negatives: By the look of it, the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team doesn't seem to have any weaknesses. When the team is on paper, it is as dominant as one would expect them to be, but in reality, there are a few things that might just bother the men in blue before they head into the Asia Cup. Team India will be highly worried about Virat Kohli's current form. Undoubtedly, he is one of the greatest batsmen the game of cricket has ever seen, but considering the position that Virat bats in, it is extremely important for him to return to form and contribute to the team's cause. On the other hand, there is Rishabh Pant who hasn't been able to deliver that consistently for India as far as the white-ball matches are considered. Pant was briefly tried as an opening batsman while India was touring England but was later replaced by SKY (Suryakumar Yadav) when India traveled to the Caribbean Islands. India's biggest challenge will be to up the ante and make the most of the first six overs as the likes of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli are anchors and at times struggle to go out all guns blazing.

India’s squad for Asia Cup: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan