IND vs HKG, Asia Cup 2022: 3 India players expected to do well against Hong Kong
India may have opened their Asia Cup 2022 campaign with a victory over Pakistan, but it's safe to say it wasn't the greatest of wins. With the middle-order chipping in with some mature cricket, they managed to pull off a five-wicket win in the final over with two balls to spare on Sunday (August 28).
However, their next opponent presents them with a chance to iron out some chinks. One such area is the form of their top three, which will be vital not just from the perspective of winning the tournament, but also with the string of games they play leading up to the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia later on in the year.
Some of the big names returned to play in the Asia Cup, and not all of them were in the greatest of form. Ahead of the clash against Hong Kong at the Dubai International Stadium on Wednesday (August 31), we look at three players who, unsurprisingly, will be expected to do well.
#1 India will hope for KL Rahul to get some runs under his belt
While the Karnataka batter's game was never in question, his return from a lengthy layoff has seen him endure a bit of a lean patch. KL Rahul returned to the setup and led the side to a 3-0 win against Zimbabwe, but his batting was rather average by his own standards.
Rahul's last three games have seen scores of 1, 30, and 0 and it was his dismissal in the match against Pakistan that was the most worrisome. His half-hearted shot saw him chop it onto the stumps, giving Babar Azam's men the breakthrough they needed in the first over itself.
With India expected to ace the contest against Hong Kong, Rahul will look to get some valuable runs under his belt.
#2 Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma's last T20I half-century came against the West Indies in the first T20I. He's tapered off since with 33 being the second-best score. His 18-ball-12 against Pakistan showed he's in a slump, like his opening partner.
It doesn't take long for a batter of Sharma's caliber to get going even if he gets off to a slow start. With his timing and fluent stroke-making, the skipper will look to get some ample time in the middle when they take on Hong Kong.
#3 Virat Kohli
He may have propped India up with a crucial 34-ball-35 in their low-scoring chase against Pakistan, but the rust and the struggle to time the ball was still seen when Virat Kohli was in the middle.
Coming back after a hiatus, Kohli will be keen to belt out a crisp half-century or even play an innings that will boost his confidence as they prep for India's packed schedule after the Asia Cup. For the talismanic batter, scoring the much-awaited 71st century would be the icing on the cake.