India’s Asia Cup 2023 Squad Announced: Rahul & Iyer Return, Tilak Varma Gets Maiden ODI Callup

New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the 17-member extended squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 this afternoon. The squad, led by Rohit Sharma, features key players making a comeback from injuries and periods of rest.

Selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar, alongside skipper Rohit Sharma, announced the squad in a press conference held in New Delhi. The return of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul from injury layoffs was a major highlight, along with the reentry of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj into the ODI setup.

Suryakumar Yadav retained his spot in the squad despite recent underwhelming performances in one-day internationals. Pacer Prasidh Krishna, having recovered from a back injury, earned his place back in the ODI squad after being sidelined since August 2022.

Tilak Varma, who impressed during the West Indies tour in his maiden T20I series, has been included in the squad, yet to make his ODI debut. Ajit Agarkar indicated that the World Cup squad’s composition would resemble the Asia Cup squad, with the option to make adjustments until the September 5 cut-off for provisional squad announcements.

India’s Squad for Asia Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson (Backup).

Notably absent from the 17-man squad was Yuzvendra Chahal. Despite his consistent performance as a wicket-taker in ODIs, Chahal’s absence continued, with no appearances during the West Indies tour and limited action in the T20 format.

Kuldeep Yadav maintains his status as India’s primary spin option, complemented by the inclusion of Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel in the team.

Several players marked their return to the squad after overcoming injuries:

– KL Rahul: Recovered from a thigh injury.
– Shreyas Iyer: Overcame a back injury.
– Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna: Returned after back injuries.