As selectors pick Asia Cup team, it will set tone for India's bid to find a core for World Cup
NEW DELHI: Seldom has there been a selection meeting for an Indian team that has generated as much anticipation as the one slated to happen here on Monday afternoon.
As chief selector Ajit Agarkar sits down for only his second meeting on the job, he will have to find a way to clear confusion and bring consistency in the ranks as the selectors pick the squad for the upcoming Asia Cup in Sri Lanka and Pakistan. This team will in all probability be the template team for the ODI World Cup due to start in India in October.
Tough fitness calls
Over the last one year, the ODI team under Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid has been hamstrung by injuries to key players like KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna.
While Bumrah and Krishna are currently playing a T20I series in Ireland, Rahul and Iyer's fitness reports have kept Indian cricket on the edge for a while now.
The call that the selectors need to take is that if they are willing to punt on players who have played little cricket in the last five months. The general consensus is that the board doesn't want to repeat what happened with Bumrah last year when he was rushed back for a series just ahead of the T20 World Cup with disastrous consequences.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah last month had said no player will directly be picked for the World Cup if he hasn't proved his fitness prior to the tournament.
Need for consistency
India's white-ball teams have been plagued with inconsistent selections in the last two years leading to uneven performances. The biggest challenge for the selectors, Rohit and Dravid is to find consistency in selection in the next two assignments prior to the World Cup given there are so many players returning from serious injuries.
"The idea is to have consistency in selection for Asia Cup so that the core of the team is ready for the World Cup. But there have to be options ready if any of the senior players don't make it. Hence, there could be two extra players picked for the Asia Cup," a BCCI source told TOI. It will also be debated who the vice-captain will be given the board is not entirely happy with the way Hardik Pandya has led the T20I team.
1/10:A captain's knock: Most runs by skippers in the Asia Cup (ODIs)
2/10:Arjuna Ranatunga (SL): 594 runs
<p>Arjuna Ranatunga was a key figure in Sri Lanka's cricket history and played a significant role in their triumph in the 1996 Cricket World Cup. </p>Getty Images
3/10:Arjuna Ranatunga (SL): 594 runs
<p>In 13 Asia Cup matches as skipper, Ranatunga scored 594 runs at an average of 74.25 with 5 fifties and a hundred with a highest score of 131*.</p>
4/10:MS Dhoni (India): 579 runs
<p>MS Dhoni was known for his exceptional leadership and cool demeanor, leading the Indian cricket team to several victories in the Asia Cup. His finishing prowess and ability to handle pressure situations made him one of the most successful captains in cricket history.</p>
5/10:MS Dhoni (India): 579 runs
<p>In 14 Asia Cup matches as skipper, Dhoni scored 579 runs at an average of 82.71 with 3 fifties and a century.</p>Getty Images
6/10:Sourav Ganguly (India): 400 runs
<p>The former Indian stalwart and skipper led India in several Asia Cup tournaments. He was known for his aggressive captaincy and his pivotal role in shaping the Indian cricket team during his leadership tenure.</p>
7/10:Sourav Ganguly (India): 400 runs
<p>In 9 Asia Cup matches as skipper, Ganguly scored 400 runs at an average of 50 with 3 fifties and a century.</p>
8/10:Rohit Sharma (India): 317 runs
<p>The current Indian skipper has been a prolific run-scorer for India. His ability to score big runs and anchor the innings have made him a vital asset to the team. Under his leadership, India won the 2018 Asia Cup.</p>
9/10:Rohit Sharma (India): 317 runs
<p>In 5 Asia Cup ODI matches, Sharma has so far scored 317 runs at an average of 105.66 with a couple of half-centuries and a century.</p>
10/10:Misbah ul Haq (Pakistan): 310 runs
<p>The former Pakistani skipper, Misbah ul Haq was one of the most balanced batters in the Pakistani side. Under his leadership, Pakistan won the 2012 Asia Cup by defeating Bangladesh.</p>Getty ImagesThe middle muddle
With uncertainty over Rahul, Iyer and Pant, India's struggle to find a steady middle-order has got trickier. TOI understands that the team is keen to have a left-handed option in the top-order. Rahul's fitness to be on the field for 50 overs is yet to be determined. Wicket-keeping could also be pushing his body.
Ishan Kishan seems to be the other obvious wicket-keeping option. But the team management would want him to also adapt to bat in the middle overs. It's likely that the selectors and the team management won't mind persisting with Suryakumar Yadav to be an impact option in the middle-order.
1/10:How King Kohli has fared in the Asia Cup (ODIs)
2/10:Kohli in Asia Cup (ODI)
<p>The former Indian captain, Virat Kohli will be playing his fourth Asia Cup in the ODI format this time. Kohli would be playing in Asia in the ODI format after 8 years. So far, Kohli has played 3 editions (ODI) (2010, 2012, and 2014).<br /></p>Getty Images
3/10:Kohli in 2010 Asia Cup (Sri Lanka)
<p>A young Virat Kohli played his first-ever Asia Cup in 2010 and scored 67 runs in 4 matches at an average of 16.75.<br /><br /><br /></p>
4/10:Kohli in 2012 Asia Cup (Bangladesh)
<p>The 2012 Asia Cup was a good outing for Kohli. He continued his good form contributing consistently with the bat. He scored against all teams including Pakistan, against whom he smashed his career-highest score of 183 in a winning cause.<br /></p>
5/10:Kohli in 2012 Asia Cup (Bangladesh)
<p>Kohli was also the leading run-getter in the edition. He scored 357 runs in 3 matches with a couple of hundreds and a fifty.<br /></p>
6/10:Kohli in 2014 Asia Cup (Bangladesh)
<p>Kohli in the 2014 Asia Cup scored 189 runs in 4 matches.<br /><br /><br /></p>
7/10:Kohli’s numbers in Asia Cup (ODI)
<p>Kohli has amassed 613 runs in 11 matches at an average of 61.30 with a fifty and 3 centuries under his belt and a highest score of 183.<br /></p>Getty Images
8/10:Highest Individual scorer in Asia Cup (ODI)
<p>Kohli scored a scintillating 183 runs off 148 balls against the arch-rival Pakistan in the 2012 Asia Cup at Mirpur, Dhaka. <br /><br /></p>
9/10:Highest Individual scorer in Asia Cup (ODI)
<p>The score of 183 is Virat's own personal highest ODI score and the highest individual score in Asia Cup history. <br /></p>
10/10:12th highest run-getter in Asia Cup (ODI)
<p>Kohli is the 12th highest run-getter in Asia Cup (ODI) history. He has so far scored 613 runs in 11 matches.<br /></p>Getty ImagesExtra pacer or seam-bowling allrounder?
There is likely to be a debate on having Krishna or a seam-bowling allrounder in Shardul Thakur. India's batting depth in white-ball cricket has been questionable for some time now. But the team management had identified Krishna as a longer format prospect after Bumrah and Mohammad Shami due to his extra height which could be disconcerting for batters.
