Asia Cup 2022: India's predicted playing XI for the first match against Pakistan

India has announced the 15-member squad for the Asia Cup 2022. In a good piece of news, senior batter and regular vice-captain of the team KL Rahul is back in the team alongside former skipper and senior lad Virat Kohli. The team has made a couple of changes in the squad in comparison to that of the one they played with in the T20I series against West Indies.

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The men in blue have defeated the West Indies in the five-match series with a score line of 4-1 in the recently-concluded bilateral clash. So, now Rohit & co. is eyeing on to win the Asia Cup which is commencing on the 27^th of August later at the end of this month. Notably, India will start their campaign in the tournament with a clash against the arch-rivals Pakistan in the Group B match on the next day of the inaugural match between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.

While starting the continental tournament, skipper Rohit Sharma and team management will definitely want to field their strongest playing XI to win the continental tournament.

So, here we’ll have a look at the predicted playing XI of the Indian team for the first match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022 as things will be changed with the return of Kohli and KL Rahul.

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Rohit Sharma (Skipper and Opener)

Rohit Sharma (Image source- Twitter)

Skipper Rohit Sharma looked in very fine touch with the bat in the recently-concluded five-match T20I series against the West Indies. He played some fine knocks to give a blistering start to the team except for the third and fifth T20I of the series. Actually, he had to retire in the third match as he sustained a strain while batting.

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Then, the 35-year-old returned in the penultimate match of the series where he played a quick and explosive knock of 33 runs off just 16 balls. But now he seems completely fit, so the management will not touch the opening slot for the sake of any change in the batting order. Skipper Rohit Sharma himself is all set to open the innings for the men in blue against the close neighbor in the first match of India’s campaign.

KL Rahul (Vice-Captain and Opener)

KL Rahul: (Image Source: Twitter)

The 31-year-old senior batter was missing the cricket field since the time he played last time in the Indian T20 League. Just before the start of the five-match T20I series against South Africa in June, KL Rahul sustained an injury due to which he had to withdraw from that series followed by exclusion from the England tour.

But, a few days back Rahul started his regular practice and nets sessions at the National Cricket Academy of Bengaluru. Considering his recovery, the selectors later picked him up for the West Indies but unfortunately, he tested positive for the Covid-19 virus.

Although, now the Karnataka-based wicketkeeper-batter is completely ready to resume international cricket with his regular opening position. So, he would be the almost first choice of the management to send to open the innings with the skipper Rohit Sharma.

Virat Kohli (Top-order Batter)

Virat Kohli: (Image Source: Twitter)

Former skipper and senior batter Virat Kohli is enduring a poor run of form with the bat for the last couple of years. He is struggling for his 71^st international century since the last one he scored against the West Indies in the month of November 2019. The 33-year-old couldn’t deliver up to the expectations in the Test and limited-overs series on English soil.

But, as the selectors gave him a rest citing the workload management, he was not in the action on the field for the last one and a half month period. So, the fans are hoping that their hero will come back in the form very shortly. The skipper and management can send Kohli at his regular batting number in Asia Cup 2022. Fans are also hoping that his drought of centuries ends in this continental tournament only.

Suryakumar Yadav (Middle-order Batter)

The world number two T20I batter has produced some finest knocks with his bat in a recent couple of matches of the shortest format of the game. Suryakumar Yadav has impressed everyone with his blistering knocks in the recently-concluded T20I series against the West Indies.

Captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid also went on to experiment with Surya’s batting order. They sent the 31-year-old batter to open the innings for the team and this truly worked for the team India in the series as he ended up being one of the highest run-scorers of the series.

In the first match against the arch-rivals, Sky might get a chance to play at the number four after the return of both senior batters KL Rahul and Virat Kohli on number one and number three.

Rishabh Pant (wk) (Middle-order Batter)

The young wicketkeeper-batter is enjoying a purple patch with his batting in the last couple of matches one England followed by the T20I series against the men in maroon in the Caribbean. His place is confirmed in the playing XI in the role of a wicketkeeper-batter. Having two other keepers in the form of KL Rahul and Dinesh Karthik, the management will let Pant keep the wickets during the Asia Cup.

Speaking of the batting order, then Pant might get a chance to bat at number five in the order. He can provide some quick runs to the team in the slog overs and also can hold the innings after an early collapse of the top-order on any day. The 24-year-old is also famous for finishing the match in his unique style.

Rishabh has also performed exceptionally well on India’s tour of England in both Test and limited-overs cricket. If he carries the same form with the bat against the men in green, then India can easily win their opening fixture of the tournament.

Dinesh Karthik (Middle-order Batter)

Dinesh Karthik (Image Credit: Twitter/BCCI)

‘Not Finished yet’, the tagline that is being used for the senior wicketkeeper-batter of the Indian team Dinesh Karthik. He is undoubtedly the oldest and senior-most player in the team who has stunned everyone with his handsome comeback in the game. Starting his career almost two decades ago, Karthik is now growing old like a fine wine. He has amazed both the experts and the fans with his outings in the Indian T20 League and the batting heroics in the international clashes against South Africa, England, and West Indies.

Karthik has emerged in the role of a finisher in almost the second half of his international career after his comeback to the field again. So, the Indian side can count on him for batting at the crucial number six batting position against Babar Azam & co.

Earlier, in the four-team tournament Nidahas Trophy in 2018, Karthik had stunned the whole cricketing after hitting a last-ball six when team India required five runs out of the last ball against Bangladesh in the final of the tournament.

Hardik Pandya (All-rounder)

Hardik Pandya (Image Credit : Twitter)

The star pace-bowling all-rounder made a comeback for team India after a long struggle with a shoulder injury. He was not a part of the Indian team in international cricket as he wasn’t fit for both the roles of batting and bowling. But when the 28-year-old captained the new entrants Gujarat Titans in the 2022 edition of the Indian T20 League, the cricketing world witnessed a completely transformed Hardik Pandya.

He shone with the bat for Gujarat throughout the entire tournament with four half-centuries to his name. Later on, he led the national side of India in the two-match T20I series against Ireland. The men in blue won the series in a clean sweep with a score line of 2-0 under Hardik’s leadership.

He can fill the column of third pace bowler for the skipper Rohit Sharma alongside brilliant batting capabilities. In the decision-making part of the team, India can send Pandya at number seven for batting.

Ravindra Jadeja (All-rounder)

Jos Buttler, Ravindra Jadeja (Image Credit: Twitter)

The world’s number one all-rounder in the longest format of the game, Ravindra Jadeja, has also proved his importance for the Indian team in T20I cricket as well. He has delivered for the team both with his bat and the ball. He can play a vital role in the Asia Cup for men in blue as he has the capabilities to provide depth in the batting till the eighth number and take wickets with the ball at the crucial junctures of the match.

Jadeja can fill the column of a second proper all-rounder alongside Hardik Pandya. Jadeja can add up a bit more excellence in the spin bowling to provide an extra cushion to the skipper and management along with having specialist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal in the playing XI against Pakistan.

Jadeja can be a match-defining player for the Indian side during the upcoming multi-team continental tournament.

Yuzvendra Chahal (Spin Bowler)

Yuzvendra Chahal, Harry Brook (Image Credit: Twitter/ECB)

India’s leading wicket-taker in T20I cricket with 79 wickets in just 62 matches to his name. Yuzvendra Chahal has contributed a lot to the Indian team with his excellent variations in the leg-spin and capabilities of trapping any batter of the cricket world with his googly. The recently turned 32-year-old senior spinner also won the purple cap in the 2022 edition of the Indian T20 League by taking 27 wickets in the tournament.

He can also prove his worth for the team in the first and most important match of the men in blue against the in-form Pakistani side. It will be an interesting batter to watch out for between the world’s number one batter Babar Azam and India’s most successful T20I bowler Chahal on the 28^th of August in Dubai.

Chahal can shift the momentum for the Indian team anytime in the match with his amazing qualities with the ball. Skipper Rohit Sharma can capitalize on the Jind-born lad in the crucial middle overs of the match.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Pacer)

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Image Credit : Twitter)

Another senior name in the team serving the nation with his quality pace bowling over the last decade since his debut in the shortest format at the end of 2012 against Pakistan. Interestingly, he will be playing for another time against his debut opponents of T20I cricket.

Speaking of Bhuvi’s contributions to the Indian team, then he is the second leading wicket-taker for India in the shortest format of the game just six wickets behind the number one Yuzvendra Chahal. The 32-year-old senior pacer has scalped 73 wickets in 72 T20Is of his career with a good economy of 6.93.

He can play a crucial role for team Indian against Pakistan in the initial overs of the match with support from the young pacer Arshdeep Singh from the other end.

Arshdeep Singh (Pacer)

The 23-year-old young pacer has stunned everyone with his stellar performances since his debut against England in the three-match T20I series last month. He has scalped 9 wickets in 6 matches with an amazing average of 14.50. Arshdeep has a pure talent for bowling deadly yorker deliveries.

He might come up as a vital element for the Indian team in death overs during the crucial matches of the Asia Cup 2022. So, the selectors and team management have picked him to replace the injured senior pacer Jasprit Bumrah in the playing XI.

Arshdeep can play a crucial role for team India at any juncture of the match against Pakistan. He can go after the middle-order of the opponent with his sheer pace and accurate deliveries.