With KL Rahul unavailable for first two Asia Cup matches, what would be India’s ideal playing XI?

Team India received a big blow amid their preparations for the Asia Cup 2023 as wicketkeeper batter KL Rahul will not be available for the first two games against Pakistan and Nepal on September 2 and 4, respectively as confirmed by head coach Rahul Dravid. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar had mentioned during the squad announcement press conference that Rahul had recovered from the hamstring injury and that he underwent surgery but suffered another niggle and was doubtful for the first game. And, now Dravid confirmed it in the presser on Tuesday, August 29.

“KL Rahul is progressing really well but will not be available for India’s first two matches – against Pakistan and Nepal – of the Asia Cup Head Coach Rahul Dravid,” a statement by BCCI said. But now with Rahul, who was the first-choice wicketkeeper out, India have been hamstrung by the availability of choices. 

Rahul fulfilled the difficult role of a wicketkeeper batter in a middle-order and rather successfully at that. The ideal replacement would have been a middle-order wicket-keeper batter. But since Sanju Samson is limited to reserves, that option is out of the equation and hence the remaining option is Ishan Kishan, being the backup wicketkeeper.

However, the biggest issue is whether will Ishan be able to do well in the middle order or not. In six innings at No. 4, Kishan has scored just 106 runs averaging 21. The 24-year-old did well opening the batting in the West Indies series scoring three fifties, but since he wasn’t tried in the middle it seems for him, the whole order will be shuffled.

Ideally, Kishan should bat at No. 5 and the rest of the order remains the same with skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill opening the batting, Virat Kohli at No. 3, Shreyas Iyer at No. 4 and Hardik Pandya at No. 6 with Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur to follow.

But there is a chance that Kishan could open alongside Gill and rest of the order goes down by one spot. So, Rohit at No. 3, Kohli at 4 and Iyer at 5. But will that happen for just two games with Rahul to come back? Ideally no, but the Indian team haven’t given themselves any other option with no Sanju Samson and with Kishan not being tried in the middle order.

India’s likely playing XI for Pakistan clash: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

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