On Monday, August 21, the selection committee will meet in New Delhi to determine the final roster for the Asia Cup. Rahul Dravid, the head coach, has been asked to attend this meeting. Rohit Sharma, the captain, will undoubtedly sit among the selectors. The Indian team’s strategists will likely work together to develop a plan for the Asia Cup and the following World Cup.
It is uncommon for a head coach to be invited to a selection committee meeting; Ravi Shastri has never attended one. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided that including Dravid was vital in light of the impending essential duties. Dravid’s presence would be beneficial given that chairman Ajit Agarkar only recently assumed the position.
The general consensus is that the team will remain the same for both the Asia Cup and the World Cup, with minor but crucial adjustments for the championship in October and November. Prior to the World Cup, the selection committee and team management plan to play nine games—six in the Asia Cup and three against Australia—to provide the players with potential practice.
One of the selection conundrums is solved by Jasprit Bumrah’s quick return to form. However, Prasidh Krishna, a returning bowler who, like Bumrah, rebounded from a significant injury absence, would certainly come under close scrutiny from the selection committee. Before the selectors, there are enough bowling options, both in terms of pace and spin, with Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami being the obvious choices. Alongside Hardik Pandya, Shardul Thakur seems to have secured a spot as an all-rounder with fast bowling.
There have been requests for R Ashwin to be added to the World Cup roster. None other than MSK Prasad, a former chairman of selectors, has advocated the veteran spinner’s prospective participation. Axar Patel, Ashwin, and Yuzvendra Chahal are the candidates left for selection by the selectors after Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav appear to be lock-ins.
India’s usual depth in the batting department doesn’t appear to be as strong as it once was; they may be largely dependent on Rohit and Virat Kohli for runs. While Shubman Gill has shown promise, Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan in the ODI format don’t have the same degree of assurance. Although Tilak Varma shows promise, he is viewed as relatively inexperienced for big difficulties.
Sandeep Patil, however, has stated that he plans to choose both Suryakumar and Varma. “I will go with Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav,” he declared, provided India gave Tilak Varma his debut. After considering the balance and the opposition, one may pick who will be in the starting XI. But I’ll have Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav in my squad, the former head of selectors recently told Star Sports.
According to sources, KL Rahul is healthy and ready to recover his spot on the Indian team. The BCCI is awaiting formal approval from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) management. Before the meeting of the selection committee, a practice match for Rahul was scheduled, but the date is yet unknown. The players must come together in Bengaluru for a weeklong training beginning on August 24 after being chosen, and then they must travel to Sri Lanka for the Asia Cup.
