Asian Games 2023: India to Field Second-String Team
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to submit its list of players for the Asian Games to be held in China by July 15, with a second-string team likely to be fielded. The tournament is clashing with the ICC ODI World Cup, which is set to begin on October 5.
Hardik Pandya to Lead, Jaiswal and Varma Earn Call-Ups
Shikhar Dhawan is set to lead the team, with Hardik Pandya taking the vice-captaincy role. Apart from the trio of Rinku Singh, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Jitesh Sharma – who had been subbed during the T20 series against West Indies – Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh, Rahul Chahar, and Tilak Varma are also expected to be included in the squad.
Gaikwad, Jitesh, and Rinku all had a fairly successful IPL 2023 season. Gaikwad scored 590 runs in 16 matches for CSK, while Jitesh and Rinku managed 309 and 474 runs for PBKS and KKR respectively. The trio were unfortunate to miss out on the West Indies squad for the T20 series.
Conclusion
The Indian team for the Asian Games is set to be a second-string team, with the likes of Hardik Pandya, Jaiswal, and Varma all earning call-ups. Despite a good IPL season, Rinku Singh, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Jitesh Sharma were not selected for the West Indies series, but are expected to be included in the squad for the Continental Games.