Are the selectors facing a problem of plenty for the Asia Cup squad? Our T20 team is already in sizzling form, and now even more players are being considered for the top order. Honestly, it feels like Flipkart’s Big Billion Days Sale has arrived early.
The catch? Hardik Pandya is yet to prove his fitness and is currently undergoing a routine assessment at the NCA. He should be fit before the squad is announced. Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav is still recovering from hernia surgery, but he too is expected to be match-ready in a week. Both are automatic inclusions. It's just that their “Add to Cart” buttons need to be clicked.
Now here’s the juicy bit - Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson are almost certain picks. Abhishek has raced to the No.1 spot in the T20I batting rankings on the back of some super scores, while Samson has slammed 3 centuries in his last 10 T20I innings. Tilak Varma might not have set the IPL on fire this year, but his last seven T20I innings average? A jaw-dropping 120, including two back-to-back hundreds.
These are the obvious picks, but here comes the spice. Shubman Gill is also under consideration thanks to his current form and, let’s be honest, we do need a backup opener. Speaking of openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan are also in the discussion after piling on runs in the IPL.
Another top-order batter who is almost certainly making a comeback to the shortest format is Shreyas Iyer. Reportedly, he is one of the top picks for the Asia Cup.
In fact, selectors had even said that KL Rahul could have also been considered for the Asia Cup had he batted in the middle order. Too much? Possibly. Because the team already has Dhruv Jurel and Jitesh Sharma in the mix. If Rishabh Pant was fit, he’d be in contention too.
And remember, this is only the top-order conundrum. We haven’t even opened the all-rounder and bowler section of the menu yet. So, is having this many top-order options a blessing, or just one giant headache for the selectors?
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