India announced their squad for the Asia Cup 2023 and one of the most notable absentees in the team is wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. The side have gone forward with Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, and newly-appointed chief selector Ajit Agarkar revealed the selection committee's thought process behind the same in the squad announcement press conference in Delhi on August 21.
"Axar Patel has done really well and can bat as well. Kuldeep has done really well as well. To fit two wrist spinners was really difficult which is why we have gone with Kuldeep," Agarkar said during the press meet.
Skipper Rohit Sharma also added to this while talking about the added advantages of having Axar in the squad, saying, "We wanted someone who can bat at 8 and 9. Axar has had a good run this year and has batted well in white-ball cricket. With him being there, it allows us to have a left-hander and have the option to send him up the order to face the spinners.
This provides us with a long batting line-up as well. We also thought of Ashwin and Washington Sundar as well, even Yuzvendra Chahal missed out. But we had to do that because we can only fit 17 players."
The 16th edition of the Asia Cup will see six teams — India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, UAE and Nepal — clashing against each other for the coveted trophy. Pakistan will take on Nepal in the Asia Cup opener in Multan on August 30 while India will open their campaign against Pakistan on September 2 in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
Team India's Asia Cup squad:
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Ishan Kishan, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Prasidh Krishna
Reserve player: Sanju Samson.
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