"Since Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni Retired...": R Ashwin's Bold No. 5 Remark Ahead Of Asia Cup 2023

25.08.2023 - 04:07 sports.ndtv.com

Middle-order has been a problem for the Indian team for a long time. After MS Dhoni's retirement, a number of players have been tried in the finisher's role but not many have been able to convince the selectors and team managment.

As for the No. 4 spot, since Yuvraj Singh's exit from the team, there remains a big conundrum over the position. For Ravichandran Ashwin, the man who has been able impress in the middle-order since Dhoni and Yuvraj's departures, is KL Rahul. "Ever since Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni retired, India were desperately looking for a replacement.

Rahul has filled that slot with expertise. He is a definite lock at No.5 and is also our wicketkeeper-batsman," Ashwin said in a video on his YouTube channel. "Before Pant's injury, Rahul was second in line and now Ishan Kishan is the second keeper, he has grabbed that opportunity with both hands.

Rahul has some niggle but hopefully, he will be ready for the first game. If he is not we have an 18-member travelling with squad in Sanju Samson," Ashwin added.

cricket India Cricket Team MS Dhoni Remark cup Ravichandran Ashwin Asia Cup Shreyas Iyer Ishan Kishan Yuvraj Singh Kl Rahul India

India's Asia Cup squad did spring a few surprises, with Tilak Varma getting the nod in the 50-over format for the first time ever while Yuzvendra Chahal had no place in the 18-man roster. Among the ommissions, Chahal's case has arguably been the most discussed one, considering there's not a single leg-spinner in the squad that was picked. While a number of former Indian cricketers have expressed their astonishment at Chahal's absence, his former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) teammate AB de Villiers also admitted being 'disappointed' to not see the spinner's name in India's squad.

Yuvraj Singh Sandhu Juara Golfpreneur Tournament 2023

Selesai sudah BNI Ciputra Golfpreneuer Tournament 2023. Pegolf India Yuvraj Singh melejit di hari terakhir untuk menjadi juara.

Asia Cup 2023: India's Batting Pairs In Practice Ahead Of Pakistan Game Out. It's Virat Kohli And...

The Indian cricket team is currently gearing up for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 with a practice camp in Alur, Karnataka and the team management decided to pair up the batters for match simulation. The selectors have gone with a number of specialist batters for the competition and questions still remain over how the batting line-up can look like when India take on Pakistan in their tournament opener on September 2. According to Cricbuzz, skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill were the first batters to face the bowlers before the pair of Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer took the crease. After the duo, KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav came to the crease and faced the bowling from their teammates.

"Whether He Would Like...": Virat Kohli At No. 4 In Asia Cup 2023? AB De Villiers' Clear Take

The Asia Cup 2023 is just round the corner and even after the 17-member squad was officially announced, questions remain over who will bat at No. 4 for the Indian cricket team. From Suryakumar Yadav to KL Rahul to Shreyas Iyer, a number of names have been suggested by both fans and experts in the recent past. However, some believe that it can be Virat Kohli who will change his batting position in order to provide solidity to the middle order. Former South Africa star AB De Villiers was in favour of such a move and in a recent interaction, he said that Kohli at No. 4 can be 'perfect' for Team India.

"Ajit Agarkar And Co Are Confused...": India Great On KL Rahul's Asia Cup Selection

Former Indian cricket team opener Krishnamachari Srikkanth was not pleased with KL Rahul getting selected for Asia Cup 2023 despite chief selector Ajit Agarkar hinting at a possible niggle that the cricketer suffered recently. During the press conference following the squad announcement, Agarkar said that Rahul may end up missing the first match of the competition and Sanju Samson was included as the back-up for this reason. Srikkanth believes that Rahul should not have been picked if he is not completely fit and even went on to call Agarkar and other stakeholders 'confused' because of the decision.

Virat Kohli Aces Yo-Yo Test Ahead Of Asia Cup 2023, Shares His Score

Gearing up for a busy period where the Indian team will be involved in the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup 2023, Virat Kohli aced the Yo-Yo test score. Taking to Instagram, the talismanic Indian batter shared a picture of him on the ground right after the fitness test. With the picture, Kohli also revealed his Yo-Yo test score which came out to be 17.2. As per reports, the BCCI demands at least a score of 16.5 from players in Yo-Yo tests. Kohli is happily quite ahead of the mark.