The Asia Cup 2023 will be India’s biggest litmus test before they enter the grand boxing ring of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. 

Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid will spearhead a 17-member team, that not only will look to end a five-year drought for silverware, but will also put to rest all the noise of consistency and confusion around the Men in Blue.

Let’s don the analytical hats to discuss how Hitman and his troop can successfully challenge for their 8th Asia Cup triumph.

Strengths

The presence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli speaks volumes about how formidable India’s top-order is. Add the promising talents of Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan to the mix, and you have a batting set with the tools to out-manoeuvre and break down any opposition bowling strategy.

As a 1+1 offer, you get a pace bowling package with the license to send shivers down the spines of the opposing batters. Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur form an association of bowlers likely to top the bowling charts and lead the path for India to glory.

Weakness

One of the primary hurdles on India’s road to Asia Cup glory is the ghosts of past vulnerability to win crunch games. The Asia Cup 2018 was the last time India lifted a trophy, and in a year where the nation prepares for the ODI World Cup, it goes without saying how crucial the Men in Blue’s performance in the latest Asia Cup tourney is.

Opportunities

The Asia Cup 2023 will be the perfect testing ground to resolve a recent persisting concern - the middle order. The return of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer comes as a timely boost when the middle-order conundrum has once again been discussed. Besides Rahul and Iyer, the presence of newcomer Tilak Varma and the use of Suryakumar Yadav in the middle could provide new options that India could lock in for the ODI World Cup.

Threat

Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel will be India’s frontline spinners at the Asia Cup, but the absence of Yuzvendra Chahal has left a question mark on the variety of options. The lack of a leg-spin expert might unsettle the Men in Blue in certain games.

Lastly, team selection will be something that will be a constant cloud of doubt for the think tank. While some players are returning from injuries, some have been on a stretch given the cricket schedules. Thus, skipper Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid will have to make optimal use of each player and give breaks to certain senior stars in games.