Asian Games 2023 : India’s Best XI
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The Indian squad for the 2022 Asian Games, which will be held in Hangzhou, has been announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The team will be led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has only participated in 10 games on the international stage. Shikhar Dhawan was anticipated to lead the team prior to the selection announcement, but the selectors snubbed the veteran by leaving him out of the squad.
The T20 format of the competition led the selectors to choose players who had experience playing cricket in the Indian Premier League (IPL). These athletes will be expected to perform at the top of their game and secure the gold medal for the nation.
The best Indian XI for the 2023 Asian Games is listed below:
Ruturaj Gaikwad ( C )
In the competition, Ruturaj Gaikwad will be the leader of the pack, and it will be his duty to perform his part admirably using both his batting and leadership abilities. He will need to give the club a furious start as a hitter with his spirited batting approach. The right-handed hitter has only scored 135 runs in eight innings of his nine games in T20 International (T20I) play so far.
He smashed his first half-century in the T20I encounter against South Africa at Visakhapatnam in June 2022. The talented opener for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2023 looked great this year, hitting 590 runs in 16 matches with a strike rate of 147.50.
Speaking of the 26-year-old’s total batting statistics in the lucrative competition, he has amassed 1797 runs in 52 games with a strike rate of 135.52. Gaikwad will need to take the initiative at the Asian Games if India is to have an impression on the competition.
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Gaikwad will need Yashasvi Jaiswal’s assistance if he is to provide the squad with successful beginnings. The left-handed hitter proved his talent during IPL 2023, which helped him gain a spot on the Indian squad for the competition that will take place in September–October. Jaiswal finished the IPL 2023 as the fifth-highest run scorer with 625 runs in 14 games and a strike rate of 163.61.
Jaiswal will need to use his local and IPL experience to overcome competitors at the Asian Games in 2022. In his 57 T20 domestic appearances, Jaiswal has amassed 1578 runs in 55 innings with a strike rate of 143.84.
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Since joining the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in 2020, Jaiswal has amassed 1172 runs in 37 games while maintaining a strike rate of 148.73. The following Asian Games will provide him with the opportunity to establish his value to the group and earn a spot on India’s T20I squad.
Shivam Dubey
India’s third-place finish in the competition may be strengthened by the presence of Shivam Dube. He has often demonstrated his ability to strike powerfully in the IPL. Since he began playing in the lucrative league in 2019, Dube has amassed 1106 runs in 51 games at a strike rate of 141.79.
He joined CSK in 2022, and this year, he was essential to their record-setting fifth title triumph. The 30-year-old had a stunning strike rate of 158.33 while smashing 418 runs in 16 games. Rahul Tripathi is a competitor for the third slot in the squad along with Dube, but so far this year, his play hasn’t been up to par.
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Dube has demonstrated his abilities in the IPL, but his T20I batting statistics are by no means remarkable. He has only scored 105 runs in nine innings with a strike rate of 136.66 in 13 T20Is. His poor international performance does not support his reputation in the IPL.
Tilak Verma
For the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the most recent IPL seasons (2022 and 2023), Tilak Varma accomplished a fantastic job. He made an impressive IPL debut in 2022, tallying 397 runs in 14 games with a strike rate of 131.02, then followed that up in 2023 with 343 runs in 11 games at an amazing strike rate of 164.11.
The selectors chose him for the Asian Games 2022 due to his excellent performance in the league, and if he is given the opportunity to participate in any matches, he will need to provide strong performances. Varma’s T20 cricket performance has been remarkable for more than a year, and his batting statistics in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2022–23 support this.
He participated in seven SMAT 2022–2023 games, scoring 297 runs in six innings for Hyderabad with a strike rate of 136.23. Given his current form, it can be claimed that he would be the ideal batter to support India in the competition’s middle order.
Jitesh Sharma (WK)
It’s possible that Jitesh Sharma will be tasked with keeping wickets while also providing support for the squad by batting in the middle order. He is a well-known player in domestic cricket who has provided Vidarbha with several match-winning innings because to his exceptional batting abilities. Many cricket fans have begun to recognise him in the past two years due to his brilliant IPL performance with Punjab Kings (PBKS).
Jitesh has been playing for PBKS in the IPL since 2022, and during the past two seasons, he has amassed 543 runs in 26 games with a strike rate of 159.24. He has a strike rate of 156.06 and scored 309 runs in 14 games at the IPL 2023. In his two-year IPL career, the 29-year-old has played a few match-winning innings for PBKS and has demonstrated his capacity to become a finisher.
His domestic T20 record for Vidarbha is outstanding, in addition to the IPL. He is Vidarbha’s leading run-scorer with 1553 runs scored in 64 T20 matches with a strike rate of 145.82. He will want to perform at his peak and attempt to completely dominate the bowling attacks in the forthcoming Asian competition.
Rinku Singh
The absence of Rinku Singh from India’s T20I roster for the West Indies tour infuriated many fans of the Indian cricket team. Fans’ rage may be warranted given Rinku’s several outstanding performances in the IPL and domestic cricket. He finished the IPL 2023 season as Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) top run-getter, with 474 runs in 14 games at a strike rate of 149.52.
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He attracted notice during the competition by thrilling many cricket fans with match-winning innings for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in pivotal matches. After being selected for India’s 15-person Asian Games 2022 team, Rinku is now eager to assist the team in winning the gold medal.
Unfortunately, Rinku hasn’t had an opportunity to wear the India shirt yet, but the kid won’t let that bother him as he works to score lots of runs for the squad. In 81 innings in 89 domestic T20 matches, Rinku has scored 1768 runs with a strike rate of 140.87, which is excellent.
Washington Sundar
Washington Sundar may be tasked with making the squad more of an all-arounder. The team management may demand that Sundar play the role of a finisher and end games for the team in the tournament when using the bat. He was in charge of the spin attack in the bowling department.
Sundar has played 35 T20Is for India during the course of his six-year international career, taking 29 wickets in 33 innings at an impressive economy of 7.22. His strike rate is only 152.85 and he has only hit 107 runs in 14 innings, which are not really spectacular hitting figures. His IPL and local expertise would also enable him to give India his all during the Asian Games in 2022.
In 58 games throughout his seven IPL seasons, Sundar has taken 36 wickets at a frugal economy of 7.34. His performance at the next competition would be crucial to India’s chances of winning the gold medal.
Mukesh Kumar
Due to Mukesh Kumar’s perseverance in domestic cricket, Delhi Capitals (DC) offered him an IPL contract in December 2022, and now selectors aren’t holding back from putting their trust in the speedster by giving him a chance to play for India in T20I matches. Mukesh was included in the recently revealed Indian team for the 2022 Asian Games.
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He participated in 10 games in the IPL 2023 but only claimed seven wickets with an economy of 10.52. Mukesh was chosen for the West Indies T20Is and Asian Games despite his poor bowling performance in the IPL 2023. He will need to play his finest game with the ball at the Asian Games 2022 in order to assist India win the gold medal.
His domestic T20 statistics are respectable; in 33 games, he has taken 32 wickets for Bengal at an economy of 8.11. India’s performance at the upcoming major tournament will depend greatly on the pacer’s performance.
Shivam Mavi
At the Asian Games in 2022, Shivam Mavi will be seen bolstering India’s speed attack. Mavi was given the opportunity to represent India in T20Is this year, captaining the team alongside Hardik Pandya. He has played six games in India’s colours thus far, taking seven wickets at an 8.78 economy rate.
He has taken 53 wickets for Uttar Pradesh in 52 T20 matches in the home circuit, with an economy of 8.31. The bowler set a record for Uttar Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2022–23 by taking the most wickets with 10 in seven games at an economy rate of 6.64.
His composure in SMAT 2022–23 helped him land a lucrative IPL contract with Gujarat Titans (GT) of INR 6 lakh. He did not, however, play in any of GT’s games throughout the campaign; instead, he warmed the benches for the squad.
Arshdeep Singh
India’s bowling assault will be led by Arshdeep Singh in the critical match scheduled for September to October. He played England on his T20I debut in July 2022 and has since taken 41 wickets in 26 games for an economy of 8.39. In the ICC World T20 2022 and the Asia Cup 2022, he showcased his prowess for India.
He grabbed 17 wickets in 14 games while representing Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL 2023 this year, with an economy rate of 9.70. With these bowling statistics, he became Punjab’s leading wicket-taker for the season, but his high economy rate earned him harsh criticism from past luminaries of the game.
With his bowling, the speedster has the potential to wreak havoc on batsmen. He has delighted the team management and Indian team followers with his variety, including toe-crushing yorkers, slower ones, bouncers, and cutters. His job in the Asian Games 2022 will be to use his superb bowling abilities to help the squad make early strides.
Ravi Bishnoi
In both the IPL and the domestic Indian community, Ravi Bishnoi is well-known. His native team Rajasthan has won several games thanks to his outstanding bowling efforts. He started playing domestic T20s in February 2019 and has since taken 101 wickets in 87 matches for an economy of 7.17.
The leg-spinner debuted in the IPL for Punjab Kings (PBKS) in 2020, and since 2022, he has been an important member of the Lucknow SuperGiants (LSG) team. Bishnoi has 53 wickets in 52 games throughout the course of his four-year IPL career, with an economy rate of 7.59. He had his greatest IPL season this year, taking 16 wickets in 15 matches at an economy rate of 7.74.
Bishnoi made his debut in national colours during the T20I match between India and West Indies at Eden Gardens in February 2022. In 10 T20Is, the leggie has chased 16 batsmen with an economy of 7.08. His selection for the Asian Games 2022 was based on his excellent bowling statistics, and now it is up to him to handle the ball well.
