Team India head into the 2022 Asia Cup as the firm favorites, and aside from aiming to lift the trophy, the squad that India has named will also look to use the opportunity at hand to boost their possibilities for the 2022 T20 World Cup.
In the last year or so, India has changed their T20 internationals approach a lot to adopt the ultra-aggressive template that Eoin Morgan once laid out.
Several deserving candidates are knocking on the selectors’ doors and even the smallest of slip-ups at the 2022 Asia Cup can see established players miss out on the squad for the 2022 T20 WC.
In this article, I’ll cover 3 India players that are most likely to be dropped from 2022 T20 World Cup squad if they have a poor 2022 Asia Cup for the Men in Blue.
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Dinesh Karthik
The comeback of Dinesh Karthik as team’s designated finisher has been a fairytale.
Owing to a supreme IPL 2022 where he single-handedly helped RCB register several come-from-behind wins, the 37-year-old batter finally made his comeback to T20Is.
However, DK hasn’t been as effective in the Indian Blue thus far. Dinesh has played 13 innings since comeback, and with just 192 runs under his belt, he hasn’t been consistent enough to be a guaranteed guy when India declares their 2022 T20 WC.
The aussie pitches will force every team to play four seamers- something Dinesh Karthik can feed on.
Regardless, Karthik hasn’t been a safe keeper thus far, and if he fails to fire with the bat in the 2022 Asia Cup, expect him to lose out on Team India’s squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup.
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Ravichandran Ashwin
Despite not having a single stand-out season in the IPL, Ravi Ashwin has found regular opportunities in the T20I format.
The off-spinner has blown hot-and-cold in the chances he has got, and at best, he and Bishnoi are fighting for the backup-spinner’s spot for T20 WC.
Keeping in mind that Ravi Bishnoi is a future star, a bigger wicket-taker, and a much more athletic fielder, only an excellent 2022 Asia Cup can help Ravichandran Ashwin hold onto his place in the India squad for 2022 T20 World Cup.
Lack of effectiveness with the ball in hand or a poor showing in the field can see the seasoned spinner miss out on the marquee T20 event.
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Virat Kohli
On 8th of August, the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) announced a 15-man-squad for the 2022 edition of Asia Cup and former Indian skipper Virat Kohli was a part of it.
King Kohli has been in a rut in the last 3 years, and in the last few months in particular, the greatest batsman of India has struggled in the shortest format of the game.
In the 4 T20Is that Kohli has played in 2022, he has managed just 52 runs at an unimpressive average of 20.25 runs per dismissal.
Though he is still the primary number 3 for India, Kohli may still miss out on Men in Blue’s 2022 T20 World Cup squad if he has a poor time in the upcoming 2022 Asia Cup.
In-form attacking batsmen like Sanju Samson, Deepak Hooda, and Ishan Kishan are already in the line. So, if Virat can’t get back to his best, the management may have to make an unemotional decision.
