Team India is gearing up for the Asia Cup 2022, scheduled to commence on August 27, with Afghanistan taking on hosts Sri Lanka. The Men in Blue will kick off their campaign by locking horns with their arch-rivals Pakistan on 28th August.
The six-team tournament will hold high importance for all the teams to prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia later this year. Team India who had a forgettable journey in the last edition of the T20 World Cup, will be more focused to build momentum by lifting the Asia Cup title.
The Men in Blue would also hope to get their main guns back in form. Here we look at such names who need to step up in the multi-nation tournament.
1) Virat Kohli
It’s crystal clear that the former Indian skipper is struggling with the bat for quite some time now. Though the management has shown faith in Virat Kohli, it’s high time that the batting giant starts paying the dividends. With the T20 World Cup approaching, the Men in Blue would want him to get some runs under his belt, or else, might be forced to bring any other in-form individual into the XI.
2) Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik had a brilliant IPL season in 2022 as he delivered in almost every game when the team needed him under pressure. However, his return to the national team hasn’t been as good as everyone anticipated. He has failed to live up to the expectations and needs to deliver in the multi-nation event. Else, Rishabh Pant who has shown form in recent games might be preferred over him.
3) Ravindra Jadeja
Though Ravindra Jadeja is a go-to guy for the Rohit Sharma-led side, he is yet to show his full abilities in the shortest format of the game. He has done well with the bat but needs to step up his game with the ball. He has to pick wickets economically to support his side in the crucial moments of the game.
