Asia Cup 2023 Selection: Ajit Agarkar & Co Will Have To Ensure A Strong Team India Is Picked And Consistently Played

With India's squad for the Asia Cup scheduled to be announced on Monday, the two most important factors would be KL Rahul and and Shreyas Iyer.

After Bumrah's sensational comeback against Ireland in the first T20I in Dublin, the Indian pace spearhead has announced himself back into the reckoning.

How fit and ready Bumrah is for the rigour of the Asia Cup is something we will find out if he is picked and played on a consistent basis throughout the tournament.

There is every likelihood that he will be played in short bursts and in crucial stages of the tournament but his workload will have to be carefully managed by the team management and selectors.

Strategic Selection and Management

The chief selector Ajit Agarkar is likely to hold a video conference with SS Das, who is in Ireland for the T20I series, and Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and according to sources even head coach Rahul Dravid are expected to be part of the crucial selection meeting.

Apart from Bumrah's case, Rahul and Iyer will be the main talking points and their fitness status and availability.

If Rahul and Iyer are fully ready and picked, then the middle order is pretty much sorted and that's exactly what the Indian team management should be focusing on with the Asia Cup 10 days away and the World Cup about 45 days away.

It's critical that Rahul and Iyer get plenty of playing time in live match situations before they head to the World Cup considering they've been away for a fairly long time.

The Rahul-Iyer Conundrum

Rahul is a top-class player and some time in the middle against tough opponents like Pakistan in the Asia Cup would do a world of good for his confidence prior to the World Cup.

The same applies to Iyer, who would need all the boost that he can ahead of a challenging World Cup campaign.

If the Rahul and Iyer puzzle is solved then it effectively rules out Sanju Samson from the Asia Cup mix. Samson has been struggling with form off late and has been inconsistent with his performances.

Suryakumar Yadav with his 360 degree abilities and X-factor element might just take one of the middle order slots along with Rahul and Iyer.

Strong middle-order the need of the hour

It's imperative that India get their middle order sorted and settled in the Asia Cup and leading into the World Cup.

The experimentation has gone on for way too long and the Agarkar-led selection committee will be conscious of ensuring there is no further unnecessary chopping and changing.

Asia Cup XI = World Cup XI

Ideally, Team India's first match of the Asia Cup against Pakistan should give a clear indication of what India's likely XI in the World Cup would look like.

The selectors and the team management will have to ensure the opening slot, middle order, lower order and the bowling fulcrum is more or less settled in the Asia Cup.

The team that plays Pakistan in the opening game should be the same team that plays a major chunk of the games all the way into the final.

This way it will be a well-oiled Team India that will be primed to take on the World Cup challenge with all its might.

The Spin Conundrum and Batting Depth

It will be interesting to see how many spinners get picked and if at all Ravichandran Ashwin gets a look in considering his batting abilities.

Should Tilak Varma be given an opportunity in the middle order to bring in the left-handed element as suggested by Ravi Shastri?.

Tilak Varma could be the surprise factor if he is given an opportunity but I feel it's a bit too early for him to take the plunge and too late for the team management to take chances.

Whether Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal operate in tandem is something that will have to be seen. One does get the feeling that India will be looking to add more batting depth and if that's the case then Ravindra Jadeja will play more games in the Asia Cup.

So, the selectors will have to take some bold and decisive calls and ensure there is continuity and consistency as the team goes through the Asia Cup and into the World Cup thereafter.