ACC Asia Cup

[indiansportsfan]

My take on the current squad:
1. Rahul needs to be dropped asap, we don't want to discover at the very last minute (like we did with Rayudu before 2019 ODI WC) that he is a liability and then not have a ready replacement. In any case, he always fails at the big tournaments.
2. Pandya is our MVP in this format and he should be handled with kid gloves. In the past, we have overplayed him (there was a stat that he played the most international days of any cricketer in the world in a year), which led to his injury.
3. Once Rahul is dropped, we can choose one out of Pant and Hooda, but I am afraid we don't have much time to experiment. Hooda still needs to prove himself in pressure situations/top teams. Pant has already done so, although in other formats (ODIs and Tests). We should play Hooda against Pakistan (in place of Rahul), and I would suggest going back to Pant if Hooda fails.
4. Our fast bowling backups, Avesh in particular and also Arshdeep to some extent are quite horrible. It's a pity we don't have anyone better.
5. Chahal is also very underwhelming at the international level, which is surprising given his IPL performance. Maybe he is feeling too much pressure playing for India, or he doesn't travel well, I don't know. Again Bishnoi is not very promising, hence we are stuck.

Overall our bowling is quite horrible. I don't think any other team (including Sri Lanka and Bangladesh), would have allowed UAE to score 150 runs on this pitch.

[prasen9]

The way amteur club-level players hammered Avesh and Arshdeep is very disappointing. Where is Atithee, our injury God? Can you wish some mystery injury on one of these --- the mildest possible one because it would not be ethical to wish injury to someone? Then, we can see what form DLC is in.

I agree fully with what isp said above and I think almost everyone will agree with all of these.

Given they are horrible, I'd have Hardik and Jadeja bowl their whole quotas assuming Hardik has no niggle. Otherwise, he plays as a solid bat and we have to get another bowler. But, if we have H & J bowl their full quota, then we can get both Pant and Hooda in the team. We should tell our openers and #3 that they need to hit out or get out not gobble up balls as Kohli did and Rahul did horribly badly.

[Atithee]

@prasen—very much here. Injury gods not needed, BCCI has several of them who conveniently inflict these mysterious injuries when required.

If not for that freak show from Yadav, we would have lost this game. Perhaps our intensity dropped posting a big total batting first. Arshdeep was touted to be this huge talent; being shown up by HK players must be embarrassing.

However, in T20, there are really no minnows. In fact, the playing field is more level than any other format. You just need 2-3 people to play above their potential and best any team. Of course, as I’ve always maintained, India is one team who is most likely to be upset than any other team despite the sheer impossibility of it occurring.

What is ailing Rahul? He’s too good to be puttering around like he has been doing lately.

[prasen9]

Rahul always putters around, not this much while opening. Rohit hits out. When playing at #4, he is great. He is not match fit. That is, Rahul needs more games to get his rhythm going after that surgery. If you will play Pant move him to open and ask him to go hammer and tongs.

[Rajkumar Sharma]

Dubai Pitch with grass in Indo Pak game gave assistance to pacers in both innings, dubai pitch with grass chopped away has no much assistance to pacers, and in second innings its hard to ball. Both Arsdeep & Avesh played plenty of cricket in these sort of tracks back home, so it will be rated as their failure

[prasen9]

Jadeja out injured. Axar in. Now we are in a quandary.

We need five bowlers: Arsh, Aves, Bhuvi, Chahal and Hardik. May replace Avesh with a spinner if the wicket is more conducive to spin.

Sixthe bower: I'd prefer Hooda to Axar

Bats: Rohit, Rahul, Kohli, SAY

Now, if we want a left-handed batter we can send in early, we have to ply Pant and not Karthik. Axar can be a good batter but perhaps not a #4. In practice, I think they will go with Axar and not Hooda.

My XI: Rohit, Rahul, Kohli, Pant, SAY, Hooda, Hardik, ...
Expected XI: Rohit, Rahul, Kohli, Pant, SAY, Hardik, Axar, ...

[Rajkumar Sharma]

Its Indo Pak again in Sunday. Rohit & Rahul needs runs at the top. Rohit has very much poor record against Pakistan in T20Is, struggles every time followed by KL Rahul who is completely out of touch. With Jadeja out, we are in problem with highly fragile opening combination

[Sin Hombre]

Most of these xi's posted here are not based on actual stats.

KL has a terrible record in pressure situations.

Virat will waste balls at #3 and the only real option in SKY.

Avesh has been disastrous from his first international outing.

[Mukherjee Babu]

R Ashwin is senior can't be in reserve
R Ashwin can't be included in Playing XI because of team balance
R Ashwin can't be picked for Australia WC as finger spinner doesn't gets enough purchase in those tracks
Instead of Deepak Chahar, Axar has to be taken as replacement for Jadeja which means there is no chance of R Ashwin making into the Playing XI as captain doesnt rely on him

Can Anybody tell me why R Ashwin is in the Squad ?

[Rajkumar Sharma]

Avesh has been disastrous from his first international outing.

Its not new to Indian Cricket once in generation we get Kapil Dev, Srinath, Zak, Bumrah. Rest of all the bowlers gets developed by getting thrashed in early part of their career

[prasen9]

Find me one who was thrashed as badly as Avesh Khan. He has a runs/over of 9+. Nobody else has been this bad. He never deserved to be in the team and should not have been in. Arshdeep gets thrashed some days and bowls well some days. I can possibly think of very, very few games Avesh bowled well out of his 15. It is time to do away with Rubbish Khan.

Atithee, Avesh apparently has contacted a viral fever.

And, Jadeja has a real injury where his knee may need to be surgically repaired. Chances are very less that he will be ready for the T20 WC. So, we should really invest in both Hooda and Axar and see who can bat and bowl well consistently.

[Rajkumar Sharma]

If Deepak Chahar replaces Avesh then the Playing XI might get sime balance. As per media Ashwin is ahead then Axar but Axar will always be a good option in this condition with his recent form, above all top order needs to fire

[Rajkumar Sharma]

India batting first, Pant, Bhisnoi & Hardik comes in. Top order needs to fire today. KL & Rohit has struggled against Pak bowling nearly every T20I games. Nothing to say on SKY or Pant

[prasen9]

I think they got the batting selection right. And, giving Bishnoi chances in big matches is not a bad idea either. He bowls more googly than legspin anyway. So, he is more like an off-spinner.

Another horrendous innings by Pant. Not surprising. He just cannot play at the international level. We have seen this over three years. Better to get a right-hander who can hit like Samson than a left-hander who cannot. We should not manufacture left-handers when we have none.

Rohit played very well. Rahul and Kohli played well so far. SAY failed but did not waste too many balls. Pant failed and wasted balls. At some point, people have to look at production or lack thereof.

[Rajkumar Sharma]

SAY failed but did not waste too many balls. Pant failed and wasted balls. At some point, people have to look at production or lack thereof.

SKY & Pant and big match failure continuing