Asia Cup 2018: India's Ideal Starting XI 

The 2018 Asia Cup will be a One Day International(ODI) cricket tournament scheduled to be held in the United Arab Emirates in September 2018. It will be the 14th edition of the Asia Cup and the third time when the tournament will be played in the United Arab Emirates, after the 1984 and 1995 editions. India are the defending champions.

Background

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a strong 16-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup which is set to start on15th of September in United Arab Emirates (UAE). The only major surprise in the team was the omission of current India captain Virat Kohli due to excessive workload. However, rest of the players in the squad were pretty much expected.

India are the defending champion and despite the omission of a champion player like Virat Kohli, Team India will look to defend their crown. So, let us take a look at the current players who can make it to the playing XI:

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Openers: Rohit Sharma(Captain) and Shikhar Dhawan

Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan

Undoubtedly, Rohit Sharma is currently one of the best openers in the limited-overs format. He can destroy any bowling line-up once he gets settled. Rohit is the only player to score three double centuries in ODI cricket with the highest score of 264, which is a world record. The way he times the ball makes him a treat to watch. He, without any doubt, deserves his place in starting XI as the captain of the team.

On the other hand, Shikhar Dhawan has been in the form of his life. He has scored runs in Champions Trophy, South Africa, IPL etc. His ability to score briskly in all corners of the ground, in any conditions and against any kind of attack makes him a certainty to partner Rohit Sharma at the top of the order.

This opening duo, right-left combination, could form a lethal opening partnership on top of the order and could lay the platform for the middle-order.

Middle Order: KL Rahul, Ambati Rayudu and Kedar Jadhav

KL Rahul

KL Rahul is a player who looks pleasing to the eye. His all-round gameplay, ability to hit boundaries against both the spinners and fast bowlers make him a special talent. In the absence of Virat Kohli, he is almost a certainty to play at the number three position.

Ambati Rayudu

Ambati Rayudu has been in tremendous touch this year. He was unlucky to miss out on the English tour due to fitness problems. However, those problems have been rectified and he will be eager to showcase his talent once again on the international scene. His presence will add more substance to the Indian batting line-up and especially to the middle order.

Kedar Jadhav

Kedar Jadhav was a regular in the Indian team before he got injured. His all-round capabilities make him more suitable option than the likes of Manish Pandey and Dinesh Karthik for the Indian team in the shorter format.

Wicket-keeper and All-rounder: MS Dhoni (Wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya

MS Dhoni

The former Indian skipper, M.S Dhoni is without any doubt one of the best wicket-keeper batsmen in the history of ODI cricket. His presence on the field, while batting or fielding provides huge confidence to his team and has a completely opposite affect on the opposition. In addition to all his traits, he still has the ability to finish games in the limited-overs format.

Hardik Pandya

The 24-year-old, Hardik Pandya occupies of the all-rounder's spot. The fast bowling all-rounder can be effective in batting, bowling, and fielding. Pandya has the talent to provide crucial breakthroughs, score quick runs and be brilliant on the field.

Spinners: Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav

Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal is a bowler who has the ability to do both i.e take wickets as well as stop the flow of the runs in the middle overs. He is a vital player in the sense that he allows his captain and his team to control the match with his quota of 10 overs depending on how the captain wants to use him.

Kuldeep Yadav

The left-arm chinaman bowler, Kuldeep Yadav has been a match winner for the Indian Team in recent times. Yadav, who recently took a hat-trick against Australia in ODIs has continued his good form in South Africa and in England as well. His inclusion in this team will definitely provide an extra edge to the bowling attack.

Fast Bowlers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The biggest weapon which Bhuvneshwar Kumar has is that he can swing the ball both ways with great control. He has also improved his batting and is now more than capable of contributing with vital runs lower down the order. This makes him a certainty in the starting XI provided he his fully fit.

Jasprit Bumrah

Bumrah is arguably the best limited-overs bowler at the moment as he is dangerous with the new ball and is lethal in the death overs, thanks to his variations. He can tear apart any batting line-up with his pace and toe-crushing yorkers.