Asia Cup: India's probable 15-member squad and starting XI
In less than a month's time, the world will witness a cricketing spectacle. The 14th edition of the Asia Cup will get underway from September 15 and will feature five teams, namely India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh which make a direct entry in the tournament. Six other teams will compete for the sixth spot.
The tournament especially serves as a feast to fans of India and Pakistan as both the teams will go head to head in this all Asian tournament. Reigning champions India would look to defend the title successfully in the tournament which also serves as a lead-up to the 2019 world cup.
For such a prestigious tournament, selection of a well-balanced squad which covers all the bases is of prime importance. Thus, here we take a close look at India's probable 15-member squad and the starting XI of the much-awaited tournament.
Openers: Rohit Sharma and Shikar Dhawan
Out of contention for the Test side, Rohit Sharma has been India's first choice opener in the ODI setup. Despite his form being scratchy in ODIs this year, he has still been a match winner on his day, notching up centuries against both South Africa and England. Scoring big when you least expect has been the hallmark of the Mumbaikar's career. No opposition team will ever count the elegant opener out and that is why he will start in the 11.
Unlike his partner, Gabbar has consistency written all over him this year and also has a hundred under his belt. India will hope he continues this form to the Asia Cup. With Dhawan constantly working on his weaknesses his career graph will only go North. The conditions in UAE are familiar to the left-right duo, making this a formidable opening pair.