India Squad For Asia Cup 2023: Hardik Pandya Pips Jasprit Bumrah For Vice Captain's Role
Hardik Pandya will be Rohit Sharma's deputy at Asia Cup 2023
In a surprising turn of events, all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been announced as the vice-captain for the Indian team at the Asia Cup 2023. The decision comes amidst speculations that pacer Jasprit Bumrah was the frontrunner for the role.
India squad for Asia Cup 2023: Hardik Pandya named vice-captain
The announcement of Hardik’s appointment for the vice-captain’s role was made jointly by Indian skipper, Rohit Sharma, and Chairman of Selectors for Men’s Cricket, Ajit Agarkar.
The naming of Hardik as the deputy to Rohit highlights the trust the management has in him, and the role they foresee for him in the team's leadership.
Meanwhile, adding depth to the middle-order, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer have returned to the squad after a period of injury-induced hiatus. Agarkar further revealed that while Iyer has been declared fully fit, Rahul isn’t yet at peak condition which prompted the inclusion of Sanju Samson as the third backup stumper.
The India squad for Asia Cup 2023 sees a few other interesting choices. Young sensation Tilak Varma, following his notable performances against West Indies, has bagged a spot for the tournament. Suryakumar Yadav has also been given another chance to prove his mettle after some average outings recently.
In the spin department, Kuldeep Yadav stands out as the sole specialist spinner, sidelining Yuzvendra Chahal. The team also brings in the experience of left-arm all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.
The fast-bowling unit boasts big names, with Bumrah making a comeback to the ODI format after recently leading the team in the Ireland T20I series. He will be accompanied by Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, and Prasidh Krishna.
India Squad for Asia Cup 2023
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Hardik Pandya (Vice-Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (Wicket-keeper), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (Wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, and Sanju Samson (travelling standby player).
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