Asia Cup 2018: India's Predicted Starting XI

Middle-order: Ambati Rayadu, Manish Pandey, and MS Dhoni (WK)

Resting Virat Kohli might have irked the Indian fans but there much more to it than we see. Having rested Virat, India would have plenty of options to play in the middle-order.

Potentially, the middle-order is expected to feature Ambati Rayadu and Manish Pandey. In the recent past, both Manish and Ambati have been in great form and look good to perform at the international circuit once again.

Ambati Rayadu got himself a place in the ODI squad against England owing to his fantastic performances for CSK in IPL 2018. However, a Yo-Yo test failure irked his exclusion from the ODI squad. But, as we say, hard work always pays and so did happen with Ambati who got drafted in the Asia Cup squad. Rayadu will prove to be a decent option for India in the middle-order. Thus, his inclusion in the starting XI will come as no surprise.

On the other hand, Manish Pandey who finished as one of the top run-getters in the recently concluded Quadrangular series was called back to India squad for Asia Cup. With some good form on his side, Pandey looks determined to make his comeback to the Indian ODI setup with an improved performance in the upcoming Asia Cup.

Although MS Dhoni has faced a lot of fire for his recent performances in the ODI series against England, he remains to be a vital cog in the Indian setup with an experience that he carries along with him. Moreover, his performances from IPL suggest that he has lot offer on the plate for India. Hence, the justification for his place in the starting XI.