Asia Cup T20 2016 Preview: India

The Indian T20I squad is high on confidence. Back to back series wins over Australia and Sri Lanka has seen the Men in Blue scale the top of the ICC T20I rankings. However, in the buildup to the World T20, the Asia Cup poses a serious challenge.

The balance of the Indian side is nothing short of brilliant. The blend of youth and experience is something a lot of sides have craved for. With Virat Kohli rejoining the side, the selectors are posed with a problem. In many people’s opinions, a problem many would love to have.

Team News

Incidentally, the Indians have opted for continuity rather than exploring their options. Virat Kohli returns to the squad after he was rested for the Sri Lana series at home. Mohammed Shami too makes a return following his injury prior to the Australian tour. With the side boasting of a settled unit, they will certainly begin as favourites at the start of the tournament.

Batting Strengths

For the past few years, the core of the Indian team’s strength lies in its batting. The emergence of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane has gone on to add to the batting strength. Having found his form in the home series against Sri Lanka, Shikhar Dhawan will be the one to watch out for. Other batting stalwarts in the side include Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both of whom pulled off brilliant performances against Australia down under. The likes of all-rounder Hardik Pandya, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin along with the man who knows exactly how to win matches MS Dhoni go on to complete what looks like an extremely strong batting lineup.

Bowling Strengths

Ravichandran Ashwin has been without a doubt the best bowlers in the Indian lineup. He has been well supported by Ravindra Jadeja as the duo look to rekindle their partnership. The inclusion of Ashish Nehra has added a much-needed experience to the side while Jasprit Bumrah has almost established himself as the death bowler. The inclusion of Mohammed Shami seems to be a risk that has been taken by the selectors given his fitness and injury concerns.

Past Performances

Since its inception in 1984, the Indians have made 11 appearances in the Asia Cup. They are the second most successful team, winning it on 5 different occasions. The Indians last clinched the Asia Cup in 2010 under the leadership of MS Dhoni in Sri Lanka.

Fixtures

24th February – Bangladesh v India, Shre-e-Bangla Stadium, Dhaka

27^th February – India v Pakistan, Shre-e-Bangla Stadium, Dhaka

1^st March – India v Sri Lanka, Shre-e-Bangla Stadium, Dhaka

3^rd March – India v Qualifier, Shre-e-Bangla Stadium, Dhaka

Squad

MS Dhoni (C & wk), Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashish Nehra, Pawan Negi, Mohammed Shami, Harbhajan Singh