India has announced its 18-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023, which will be held in Sri Lanka from September 15 to October 2. The squad is led by Rohit Sharma, who has been in sublime form in the limited-overs format. He will be assisted by Hardik Pandya as the vice-captain.

The squad features a mix of experienced and young players, who have proven their mettle in the recent series against England and Australia. The batting line-up is solid and versatile, with the likes of Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav. All of them can play at different positions and adapt to different situations.

The all-rounders’ department is also well-stocked, with Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya providing balance and depth to the team. They can contribute with both bat and ball, and also add variety to the bowling attack.

The bowling unit is spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, who are arguably the best pace duo in the world. They are complemented by Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna, who have impressed with their pace and skill in the recent outings. The spin department is led by Kuldeep Yadav, who has regained his confidence and form after a lean patch. He will be supported by Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja, who can also bowl tight overs in the middle phase.

The squad also has a backup wicket-keeper in Sanju Samson, who can also bat explosively in the lower order. He will provide cover for Ishan Kishan, who has been preferred over Rishabh Pant as the first-choice keeper.

India’s Squad for Asia Cup 2023:

Rohit Sharma ©, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (VC), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson (backup WK).

India’s Matches in Asia Cup 2023:

India will play five matches in the group stage of the Asia Cup 2023. They are placed in Group A along with Pakistan, Afghanistan and Oman. They will face their arch-rivals Pakistan in their first match on September 19 at Colombo. They will then take on Afghanistan on September 21 at Hambantota. They will play their third match against Oman on September 23 at Dambulla. They will return to Colombo for their fourth match against Pakistan on September 26. They will wrap up their group stage campaign with a match against Afghanistan on September 28 at Hambantota.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super Four stage, where they will play each other once. The top two teams from the Super Four stage will advance to the final, which will be held on October 2 at Colombo.

India will be aiming to win their eighth Asia Cup title and their third consecutive one. They have won the tournament in 1984, 1988, 1990-91, 1995, 2010, 2016 and 2018. They are the most successful team in the history of the tournament.