For the first time, the Asia Cup and the World Cup are being held in the same year, and within days of each other. Pakistan begin the tournament as the No.1 team in the world, and while India would like to win it, the focus will be on the bigger challenge commencing at home on October 5. There are still slots to be filled, permutations and combinations to be tried out.
India, currently No. 3, cannot claim to have a settled team for the World Cup, which explains 18 players in Sri Lanka for their opener against Pakistan. Sanju Samson adds to the game’s lexicon as a ‘travelling substitute’, set to replace K.L. Rahul if the latter doesn’t recover fully from a niggle he picked up while recovering from his thigh injury.
Also returning from injury is Shreyas Iyer, but it might not be a bad idea to play Ishant Kishan ahead of him at number three, if only to have a left hander in the top half, and someone who can strike early and consistently.
