The Asia Cup begins tomorrow with Sri Lanka taking on Afghanistan. India’s campaign begins with them taking on arch-rivals Pakistan. So, what are the strengths, areas of improvement, and opportunities in the Indian team? We are sure that the team will perform to its potential. But who will play? Who are the ones that will make the difference? Here is an in-depth SWOT analysis of the Indian Cricket Team at the Asia Cup 2022:
Strengths of the Indian team in Asia Cup 2022:
The major strength of the Indian team is batting. The team has immense batting depth. Names like Deepak Hooda, Dinesh Karthik, and Rishabh Pant are exceptional batters but they might find it difficult to find a place in the 11. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul are the top players in the world with the bat in hand. Suryakumar Yadav happens to be in the form of his life. He can do wonders at this stage and prove his mettle.
Weakness of the Indian Team in Asia Cup 2022:
The weakness is the fast bowling. You just have 3 genuine fast bowlers with the support of Hardik Pandya in the first 15. Deepak Chahar is on the list of stand-bys but should have been picked ahead of Bishnoi.
Opportunities in the Indian team:
A big opportunity for either DK or Rishabh Pant. Whoever will get picked needs to perform and has to perform with flying colors. The Indian team is looking for a good finisher and DK can take that opportunity. But if the team wants a genuine match-winner, Rishabh Pant has to be chosen. The other opportunity is for Arshdeep Singh. Jasprit Bumrah and T Natarajan are not here but Arshdeep is India’s new yorker machine. So, it will be great to see if he is picked ahead of Avesh Khan.
Threats to the Indian team:
The threats to the Indian team are too many cooks. There are too many options in the top order. Will Rohit and Virat open? Will Rohit and Rahul open? Will Surya or Hooda bat at number 4? There are just too many options. The other threat is the lack of game time for Virat Kohli and KL Rahul. Virat is coming from a time off from the game and will be expected to do what he does best, dominate! But this lack of game time can also be a very big threat.
The Indian Squad:
Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan.
To know more go to India VS Pakistan Asia Cup: Top 3 Moments in Asia Cup History.
Read more at Asia Cup 2022: 3 Players Who Will Be Playing their Last Asia Cup in 2022!
To know more go to the official website of the BCCI.