Asia Cup 2023 - "I Think They Will Win": India Star Shafali Verma On Rohit Sharma-Led Squad

21.08.2023 - 19:05 sports.ndtv.com

Indian woman cricketer Shafali Verma on Monday said that the Indian men's cricket team will win the Asia Cup 2023 which will start on August 30 in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

At an event in Mumbai, Shafali Verma told ANI, "The team looks very strong. All those who were missing owing to injuries are making a comeback.

So, I think Team India has become very strong. So, I think they will win." India named their 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup squad on Monday.

The woman cricketer also wished India to win the World Cup 2023 which will be held in India from October 5. Cricketer Shafali Verma also responded to the controversy of Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur with umpires during the match against Bangladesh.

cricket Asia Cup 2023 win cup on Harmanpreet Kaur Asia Cup Shafali Verma India Sri Lanka Bangladesh Pakistan

India's squad for the Asia Cup 2023 has received a mixed reaction, with a section of fans and experts pointing out the apparent 'flaws' that exist in the team. Highlighting one of the problem areas in the team, former India star Gautam Gambhir asserted the need to have a proper backup for Hardik Pandya. Though Shardul Thakur has shown over time how productive he can be with the bat, Gambhir doesn't think he is the ideal backup for Hardik. The former India opening batter, instead, wanted Shivam Dube to have gotten the nod.

Where Can India Improve Ahead Of ICC World Cup 2023? Dinesh Karthik Points Out Two Key Areas

The ICC World Cup 2023 is just round the corner and veteran Indian cricket team star Dinesh Karthik believes that the Rohit Sharma-led side has a couple of key areas where they may still need to improve. In a recent interaction, Karthik was asked about India's chances in the World Cup and he made it clear that they first need to use the upcoming Asia Cup as an opportunity to make the final tweaks to the team composition. When asked about the exact places which need fine tuning, he spoke about the fast-bowling options and the dilemma surrounding the middle-order batting.

"Must Be Tough...": Australia Great On Yuzvendra Chahal's 'Big' Asia Cup 2023 Snub

Former Australian cricket team opener Matthew Hayden called Yuzvendra Chahal's exclusion from India's Asia Cup 2023 squad 'big' and pointed out how tough it mush have been for the selectors considering they had another good option in Kuldeep Yadav. “There're some big omissions. Chahal in particular, that leg-spinner is such a superb player and (it) must be tough for the selectors because they've also got another one in Kuldeep (Yadav).... he's a superb player. So, they've gone for that as an option,” Hayden said. The explosive opener also backed young players Shubman Gill and Tilak Varma to make the opportunity count after they were named in India's squad for the Asia Cup.

Experts Praise Rohit Sharma, Ajit Agarkar For 'Candid' Asia Cup Press Conference

Team India's 17-member squad for the Asia Cup 2023, starting from August 30, was announced earlier this week after a meeting between the selectors and the team management. India captain Rohit Sharma and the new chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar were also part of the meeting that took place in New Delhi. After the squad announcement, Rohit and Agarkar addressed a press conference where they spoke in details about squad, including the criteria behind the selection process.

Explaining Team India's No. 4 Conundrum Ahead Of Asia Cup 2023

As the Indian cricket team heads into a busy period of ODI cricket, with the Asia Cup and World Cup on the horizon, an unsettled middle order remains the team's biggest issue. In the middle-order, there remains a big dilemma over who the ideal No. 4 batter could be. While Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul have been playing at the position for a while, their long-term injuries prompted the team management to test the multiple options at the spot. For the Asia Cup, even the uncapped Tilak Varma was roped in, following the promise he showed in the T20I series against West Indies.

"Don't Think Any Player...": Sunil Gavaskar's 'Injustice' Take On India's Asia Cup 2023 Squad

An annoyed Sunil Gavaskar pleaded with those questioning the Indian team selection for the upcoming Asia Cup and asserted that this 17-man squad should form the nucleus of the 15-member World Cup side. Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was a notable omission from the squad, leaving India with only one wrist spinner in Kuldeep Yadav. Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja are the other spin bowling options in the squad that was named on Monday. Few also wondered why senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who is also a very useful batter lower down the order, was not picked in the side. "Yes, there are a few players who will believe that they are lucky. But the team is selected. So don't talk about Ashwin. Stop creating controversy. This is our team now.