3 players who will be in the reckoning if KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are ruled out of Asia Cup 2023

The 16th edition of the Asia Cup will be played from August 30 to September 17. Sri Lanka and Pakistan will jointly host the tournament. Sri Lanka, as the defending champions, will be keen on imposing their authority and try to ensure that they manage to get off to a good start. Pakistan, who were the runners-up in the previous edition, also have a more than decent side at their disposal.

India, however, will feel that they need to tighten their squad, owing to their mediocre performance in the West Indies recently. Also, this will allow them an excellent opportunity to test their bench strength ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup, to be held in October. A lot of first-team players might be a part of the squad that takes part in the Asia Cup, while a few reserves might get a go too.

One of the biggest worries for India is the fitness of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, marquee players who are ruled out with a thigh and a back injury, respectively. If the duo is not deemed fit for the continental tournament, the BCCI might choose to turn to new faces.

In this listicle, we bring to you three players who might be in the reckoning for selection in case Iyer and Rahul get ruled out for India. These batters have put their hands up with their stellar performances in the recently-concluded Deodhar Trophy.

#3. Riyan Parag (Assam)

Riyan Parag while playing for Rajasthan Royals (Credits: ABP News)

This might seem like a left-field choice, but Assam's Riyan Parag, who has had a belter of a time in the Deodhar Trophy for the East Zone, will be a good pick. He can add a lot of variety to the Indian side, owing to his abilities with the ball in hand, to go with his explosive batting lower down the order.

Admitted that neither Rahul nor Iyer is a lower-order batter, but Parag's versatility might end up tilting the balance in his favor. The Rajasthan Royals player, who has been with the franchise since he made his debut for them in 2019, will be keen on impressing national coach Rahul Dravid, though his fielding abilities have come under the scanner at times.

However, with 354 runs at an average of 88.50 in the Deodhar Trophy, Parag has strengthened his case for selection immensely. He was also the leading run-getter in the tournament, which is an oddity, given how low down the order he bats. Numbers five and six are his preferred batting positions.

#2. Harvik Desai (Saurashtra)

Harvik Desai (Credits: Getty Images)

One of the most exciting performers in the recently-concluded Deodhar Trophy was Harvik Desai. Turning up for the West Zone, the Saurashtra batter was at his imperious best, marking his territory with 301 runs at an average of 60 in five innings.

It seems quite far-fetched for him to be picked straight away into the national team, but it will not harm the selectors to see how he goes in the familiar conditions of Sri Lanka. The 23-year-old, who became famous for hitting the winning runs for India in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup final against Australia, has finally come into his own in the domestic circuit.

Desai has been around for Saurashtra for quite a while now. His abilities behind the stumps (he is a wicketkeeper), as well as in front of them will add some weight to his case, given that Rahul might have kept wickets for India in the Asia Cup too.

#1. Mayank Agarwal (Karnataka)

Mayank Agarwal (Credits: myKhel)

Perhaps the biggest case up for selection in the Asia Cup is that of opener Mayank Agarwal. The 32-year-old, who last played a Test for India in 2022 against Sri Lanka, will be itching to wear the national jersey in limited-overs cricket again.

Leading the South Zone to the Deodhar Trophy title, the Karnataka batter amassed 341 runs at an average of 68, with a fantastic 63 in the final against the East Zone. Nearing the top of the run-scoring charts, Agarwal will feel that he has done everything within his control to force his way back into the ODI team. His last ODI appearance came in November 2020 in Sydney against Australia.

The swashbuckling player, who can get India off to a good start in the powerplay, will be a like-for-like replacement for Rahul. However, Agarwal's record in white-ball cricket for India is not really impressive. He has managed to score just 86 runs in five innings. However, it is high time that he gets another go, and his brilliant form backs this recommendation of ours.