Asia Cup 2023: India’s best XI among non-selected players

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India’s 17-member squad for the 2023 Asia Cup on August 21, 2023. Jasprit Bumrah will travel along with the team as he is completely fit to play in the continental tournament to be played in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, albeit a slight niggle, have also made a comeback in the Indian team for this competition.

Another player that succeeded in finding a spot in the continental competition was Tilak Varma. However, some names didn’t feature on the list and now it’s almost likely that those players might not get a chance to represent India in the upcoming World Cup 2023 as well. Ahead of the continental tournament, it’s time to know about those names who won’t travel with the Indian team to Sri Lanka.

Here is India’s best XI made from non-selected players of the Asia Cup 2023

1. Yashasvi Jaiswal

Yashasvi Jaiswal, WIvsIND 4th T20I. (Photo Source: BCCI/Instagram)

For Yashasvi Jaiswal, it’s been an amazing year as he ended up as the fifth-leading run-getter in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. He notched up 625 runs for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in 14 matches at a magnificent strike rate of 163.61. Noting his efficiency with the bat in the marquee tournament, selectors picked him up for the West Indies tour to play Test and T20 International (T20I) series.

In the T20I series against the Caribbeans, Jaiswal scored 90 runs in three games at a strike rate of 157.89. He will travel to Hangzhou, China, along with the Indian team for the 2022 Asian Games. However, he won’t be part of the Indian team that will play the 2023 Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.

Instead of Jaiswal, selectors have picked up Shubman Gill to support captain Rohit Sharma as an opener. In case of Gill’s unavailability, wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan could also don the role of the opener in the competition.

2. Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Shikhar Dhawan didn’t get picked up for the continental tournament to be held in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Despite his experience and batting numbers, selectors ignored his name. The southpaw has the experience of 167 ODIs in which he scored 6793 runs with 17 tons and 39 half-centuries.

In the 2018 edition of the Asia Cup, he became the Player of the Series for his outstanding batting performance. Racking up 342 runs with a couple of tons in five matches at a strike rate of 102.08, he also ended up as the leading run-getter in the competition. However, his performance saw a huge plunge in the last few years.

India lost the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh in December 2022 and in the series, the veteran opener scored only 18 runs in three matches at a dismal average of 6.00. Following that series, the team management showed faith in young openers such as Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan to support captain Rohit as an opener.

3. Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ruturaj Gaikwad. (Photo Source: BCCI)

Ruturaj Gaikwad looked at his best in the 2023 IPL. He scored 590 runs in 15 innings of 16 matches, at a strike rate of 147.50. With these numbers, he also ended up as the second-leading run-getter for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the competition.

These numbers helped him to go to the West Indies for a three-match ODI series. Appearing in the third ODI against the Caribbean team, he came to bat at number three but went back to the pavilion early after contributing only eight runs to the team. The right-handed batter will lead the Indian team that will tour Hangzhou, China, to play in the 2022 Asian Games.

However, selectors didn’t pick him up for the 2023 Asia Cup as for the team management, inducting the 26-year-old batter into the side could’ve become difficult as the Maharashtra batter is the best-known for his opening batting, and currently, the team has talented openers such as Gill and Kishan, who have performed exceptionally well in recent times.

4. Rinku Singh

Rinku Singh. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Rinku Singh was another youngster in this IPL who succeeded in putting up an impressive show with the bat. In this year’s league edition, he racked up 474 runs with four half-centuries in 14 matches, at a magnificent strike rate of 149.52. The southpaw ended up as the most successful batter for his side in the competition.

Rinku’s impressive batting performance helped him earn a lot of fans. When selectors ignored his name for the ODI and T20I series against the West Indies, his supporters came to his support and criticised the BCCI. In the Ireland series, Rinku got a chance to play two matches, and grabbing the opportunity with both hands, he played a rapid knock of 38 off 21 in the second T20I at the Malahide Cricket Club.

Rinku has a fine record in List A cricket as he has scored 1806 runs for Uttar Pradesh in 82 innings of 91 matches, at a strike rate of 141.53. Noting the left-handed batter’s record as a middle order in the domestic circuit, the Indian team management could’ve trusted him to bat at number four.

5. Rishabh Pant (wk)

Rishabh Pant. (Photo Source: Rishabh Pant/Instagram)

Rishabh Pant is known for his extraordinary batting and wicketkeeping skills and riding on his heroics, the team has won a lot of games. In 2022, India won the three-match ODI series against England, by a 2-1 margin and the wicketkeeper batter played an instrumental role with his bat in this victory.

He scored 125 runs in a couple of innings of three matches at a strike rate of 105.93. In the last ODI held in Manchester, he played the best ODI knock of his career. He scored an unprecedented 125 in the match and took the team home. In December 2022, Pant met a horrific car accident on the Delhi-Dehradun highway and since that incident, he hasn’t made a comeback.

In this Asia Cup, Team India will miss Pant’s services as he supports India’s middle order with his aggressive batting style. The young India wicketkeeper batter has played 30 ODIs for the Men in Blue, thus far, and has scored 865 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 106.65.

6. Deepak Hooda

Deepak Hooda. (Photo Source: BCCI)

Deepak Hooda was dropped from India’s ODI team after his non-performance on the New Zealand tour. He failed to fulfil his responsibility in the team against the Kiwis, scoring only 12 runs in two matches. Following his failure, selectors didn’t pick the all-rounder for the Bangladesh tour.

In IPL 2023, he was a part of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and he had the chance to give his best and grab the attention of selectors. However, he delivered a lacklustre performance in the league and selectors didn’t show interest in him. However, he is included on the list of standby players in India’s squad for the 2022 Asian Games.

Axar Patel will go to Sri Lanka along with the Indian team for the Asia Cup 2023. Patel will fulfil the role of an all-rounder in the team. Had Hooda been disciplined in recent times, the team management would’ve trusted him to serve the side as an all-rounder in the continental tournament.

7. Deepak Chahar

Deepak Chahar. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Deepak Chahar isn’t included in the Indian team for the Asia Cup 2023. He could’ve done wonders with the ball for the team in the upcoming competition as Sri Lankan conditions are known for supporting swing bowlers. The speedster made his ODI debut in the 2018 Asia Cup against Afghanistan in Dubai.

Since then, he has played only 13 one-day matches and has taken 16 wickets at an economy of 5.75. In his international career, Chahar has gone through injuries that hampered his growth. After Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s exclusion from the team following the South Africa tour in January 2022, Chahar was considered the favourite to replace the veteran.

Like Bhuvneshwar, Chahar is also known for his impeccable swing bowling skills. However, the right-arm pacer failed to live upto the expectations in the Bangladesh ODI series in 2022 and got dropped from the team. Of the three-match series, he got a couple of games and took only one wicket.

8. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar. (Photo Source: Getty Images)

After going through the most difficult phase of his international career, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s confidence is now completely shattered and the pacer is no more a part of BCCI’s scheme of things for the ODI World Cup in 2023. Recently, the veteran pacer got snubbed from India’s Asia Cup 2023 squad.

In his immense ODI career, the 33-year-old has shown up in 121 ODIs and has bagged 141 wickets at an economy of 5.08. After 2020, he failed to be effective with the ball in the format which led to his ouster from India’s ODI side. However, he was active in India’s T20I team until the 2022 World Cup but following his below-par performance in the marquee event, the team management lost faith in him completely.

The speedster could’ve proven himself while serving Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2023 to make a comeback in the national squad. Leading SRH’s pace attack in all 14 games in the season, Kumar ended up as the highest wicket-taker for his team with 16 wickets but his economy of 8.33 wasn’t convincing.

9. Umran Malik

Umran Malik (Photo Source: Twitter)

Umran Malik hit the headlines after IPL 2022, for his blazing pace. Following the 2022 IPL season, he became a household name due to his stunning bowling performance for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). In November 2022, India toured New Zealand for three ODIs and Umran was one of the vital cogs in the team due to his fast bowling.

The Jammu-born speedster made his ODI debut against New Zealand in Auckland. Considering his IPL bowling numbers, the Indian team fans were expecting Umran to be disciplined with the ball. However, that didn’t happen as he splurged runs at a horrendous economy of 6.47 in the series against the Kiwis.

Talking about his overall bowling performance, the 23-year-old has clinched 13 wickets in nine innings of 10 ODIs, at a horrendous economy of 6.54. This year, Malik will neither feature in the Indian team for the Asian Games 2022 nor the 2023 Asia Cup.

10. Arshdeep Singh

Arshdeep Singh (Photo Source: Twitter)

After the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, Arshdeep Singh was handed his ODI debut against New Zealand in Auckland. The pacer has played three games in his brief ODI career and has failed to pick up any wickets. With these numbers, there were extremely high chances that the young speedster would not be included in India’s 2023 Asia Cup 2023 team and the same happened.

Arshdeep is incredibly talented as he can trouble batters with variations such as slower balls, cutters, yorkers, and more. However, it’s witnessed that the left-handed pacer struggles against batters in the final overs of the game which costs the team. In IPL 2023, he grabbed 17 wickets in 14 games but at a terrible economy rate of 9.69.

Arshdeep’s struggle in final overs came out in the open again during India’s tour of the West Indies in July-August 2023. In the five-match T20I series against the Caribbeans, the 24-year-old got seven wickets but gave away runs at a below-par economy of 9.18.

11. Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal. (Photo Source: Twitter)

The exclusion of Yuzvendra Chahal from India’s Asia Cup squad miffed a lot of Team India. Chahal, who has played 72 ODIs for India, has bagged 121 wickets in 69 innings at an economy of 5.26. Despite his experience and effective bowling numbers, the team management ignored the veteran spinner for the continental tournament.

Captain Rohit Sharma and selectors preferred Axar Patel over Chahal, as the former could make a fine contribution to the side with both bat and ball. This year, Chahal played two ODIs and got three wickets at an economy of 5.82. In the recent West Indies tour, he didn’t get any match from the team in the three-match ODI series.

In the T20I series against the Caribbeans, the 33-year-old failed to live upto the expectations as he got five wickets in five contests at an economy of 9.05. With the Asia Cup 2023 snub, there are high chances that he could be left out of the Indian team for the 2023 World Cup as well.