5 Indian players who could make their ODI debut in the Asia Cup
The 2018 Asia Cup will get under on September 15 in the United Arab Emirates and India are one of the five teams and six qualifiers who will be taking part in the tournament.
The Indian team is currently in England where they have played three T20Is, three ODIs and playing a five-match Test series. The Men in Blue have been playing non-stop cricket for a while now and they have certain areas that are needed to be addressed ahead of the World Cup.
So, one can expect the Indian selectors to rest a few players for the tournament and give a chance to the fringe players to prove themselves. Let us take a look at five players who could be named in the Indian squad for the Asia Cup and get their maiden ODI cap.
Krunal Pandya
Ever since making his debut for Mumbai Indians in the 2016 IPL, Krunal Pandya has become a familiar name among the Indian fans. The all-rounder, who is the elder brother of Indian regular Hardik Pandya, has been doing well consistently with both bat and ball.
In the three IPL seasons he has played so far, Krunal has scored 708 runs at an average of close to 30 and a strike-rate of 154 and with the ball, he has taken 28 wickets at an economy of 7.12.
He was rewarded with a place in the India A side for their tri-series against England Lions and West Indies A that took place in England last month and did well with both bat and ball. His unbeaten 34 against the Lions in the final of the tournament and his 49 against Australia A in the ongoing quadrangular series involving South Africa A and India B as the other two teams showed that he is matured enough to be an international cricketer and he is someone who doesn't succumb under pressure.
With India in search of a third spinner and a batsman who can bat at number 6 in ODIs, giving Krunal a go in the upcoming Asia Cup won't be a bad idea given the fact that he is capable of scoring runs with the bat and bowling some overs when needed, taking the pressure off his younger brother, who is now forced to bowl 10 overs in every game.