Asia Cup 2022: 3 playing XI combinations India can experiment with for the rest of the tournament
Barring the top three, India will look to give some gametime to even the players on the bench over the course of their Asia Cup 2022 campaign. While it was a surprise to see Rishabh Pant left out in the first match against Pakistan on Sunday (August 28), he is likely to return to replace another major name as the tournament progresses.
India's willingness to experiment suggests that every match they play (including the game against Hong Kong on Wednesday) will see a new face in the playing XI.
With KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma set to remain as constants, the remaining eight positions will be up for grabs not just for veteran players, but also for young guns keen to make a mark.
On that note, we look at three playing XI combinations India can experiment with in their remaining Asia Cup games.
#1 Bring Rishabh Pant in place of Suryakumar Yadav
This may be one of the combinations India can field and it may happen against Hong Kong. Not only does it provide another left-handed batter in the mix, but it also gives India a shot at trying Rishabh Pant as an opener as they have done before.
Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (VC), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Arshdeep Singh.
#2 India can bring in Deepak Hooda to the fold replacing Dinesh Karthik
While an argument can be made that Dinesh Karthik is a more experienced batter and his T20 form is sublime at the moment, Deepak Hooda has had a similar run in the format. This would mean getting him to bat on top and Hardik Pandya taking on the role of a finisher. Yadav still sits out in that case.
Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (VC), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Arshdeep Singh.
#3 Switch up the spinners
Ravi Bishnoi doesn't necessarily toss the ball up as much as Yuzvendra Chahal does, but he has a nippy and skiddy delivery that he puts to good use. Combine this with his googlies, he certainly makes a case for himself in the playing XI.
The think-tank could also try to get Ravichandran Ashwin in place for Ravindra Jadeja, and the one compromise would be on the fielding front. The Tamil Nadu spinner is no slouch with the bat and even batted at No.3 for the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2022.
Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (VC), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Ravichandran Ashwin Avesh Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Arshdeep Singh.