Sports Desk: India have already sealed their berth in the final of the Asia Cup 2023, while Bangladesh are still in the race for a spot. With the final just a few days away, it will be interesting to see if India rest any of their key players in the dead rubber against Bangladesh.
India have a strong squad at their disposal, and they can afford to rest some of their players without weakening their team too much. However, they will also want to keep their momentum going and avoid any complacency before the final.
Some of the players that India could consider resting include Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah. All three players have had a busy season so far, and they could benefit from a break. However, if India do decide to rest any of their key players, they will need to make sure that their replacements are up to the task.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, will be looking to win their match against India to boost their chances of making it to the final. They have a good team, but they will need to be at their best to beat India.
After the match against Sri Lanka, K.L. Rahul had spoken at length about the role clarity given to him by the team management, that he would be India’s premier wicket-keeper-cum-middle-order batsman.
So, it can be assumed that Rahul is all set to continue his duty against Bangladesh as well.
But Shreyas Iyer’s fitness will be keenly watched as he missed the Super 4 matches against Pakistan and Sri Lanka with back spasm.
However, Shreyas batted and bowled at nets on Thursday without any visible discomfort, and that should come as a pleasing development for the team.
But if the management wants to give some extra time for the Mumbaikar to recuperate, they can weigh their options between Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav.
While has Kishan has been impressive in ODIs so far, Suryakumar’s numbers were quite disappointing in the format.
Despite that, Suyakumar has been viewed as an important cog in India’s white ball establishment, and the thinktank would want to give another chance for him to push his case.