Given the importance of the T20 World Cup and Shubman Gill's lack of previous experience in the shortest format, KL Rahul is expected to take over as team captain for the Asia Cup. The tournament will be held in the United Arab Emirates starting on August 27. Gill will likely be moved to the third spot to guarantee that his captain gets enough game time.
The 22-year-old Gill had a fantastic 50-over series in the West Indies, scoring 64, 43, and 98 not out in three games to win the Player of the Series award.
“I think Shubman is being groomed in the right way by the Indian team management,” former Test opener Devang Gandhi said.
“While he has done exceedingly well in the Caribbean ODIs, what I can gauge from this team’s philosophy is prepare players for multiple slots. Hence I feel for this particular series, Shubman might have to come in at No. 3.”
The Men in Blue is currently in Zimbabwe for a three-match One-Day International (ODI) series, which will take place from August 18 to 22. Rahul, a late addition to the squad after passing a fitness test earlier this week, will lead Team Indian. He will bat alongside vice-captain Shikhar Dhawan.
2022 Asia Cup
The 2022 Asia Cup, which starts on August 27 and ends on September 11, will feature a total of six teams. India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan are the five confirmed teams that will compete. A qualifier round will be held before the tournament, with the winner claiming the sixth team spot. The contenders for the seat are Hong Kong, Kuwait, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates.
Asia Cup 2022 is divided into two groups. Group 1 comprises India, Pakistan, and the No. 6 team 1. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan are in Group B.
Each team will play one match against the other teams in their respective group during the group stage. The top two teams from each group will advance to the super four round, in which each team will play one match against all teams. The top two teams will continue to the championship game.
India is the tournament's defending champion, winning its last title in 2018 after defeating Bangladesh in the final. India has also won the most Asia Cup titles at seven. Sri Lanka comes in second with five titles, while Pakistan has two.
Ishan Kishan out
Ishan Kishan is one of the notable names missing from the 15-man squad for the Asia Cup. The 24-year-old's last 20-over game was against the West Indies, where he scored 11 off 13 deliveries.
The left-handed batter said his exclusion, which surprised fans, motivated him to work harder and score more runs.
"I feel that what selectors do is fair,” he told ANI in a recent interview. “They put a lot of thought while selecting players as to who should be given the opportunity and where.
"It is a positive for me because if I am not selected, I will work harder and score more runs. When selectors will have confidence in me, they will obviously keep me in the team."
