India Squad for the Asian Games 2023 is yet to be announced by BCCI on July 15 as BCCI approves teams to Hangzhou Asiad.
India Squad for the Asian Games 2023
The Asian Games 2023 is about to take place in Hangzhou in September and October. Cricket was included in Asian Games in 2014. Until now India hasn’t been participating in Asian Games, But this time they are about to play in Asian games.
After initially refusing to send squads to Hangzhou Asiad, the board decides to send the Indian team to the Asian Games 2023 after the BCCI Apex Council meeting in Mumbai.
Shikhar Dhawan
It is announced that BCCI is about to send the India B team to take part in the tournament as team A will be preparing for the Asia Cup and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. The governing body recently confirmed the participation of the team in the continental tournament.
Due to the Asian Cup 2023 schedules coinciding with the World Cup 2023, the BCCI said that they will send a second-string Indian team and a full-strength Women’s team will be on the board for the tournament.
It is learned as per the reports that BCCI will finalise the Indian squad for the Asian Games 2023. With Rahul Dravid set to be part of the main team, the reports also suggested that VVS Laxman will be the coach of the team. The men’s event begins on September 28, while the women’s competition will be played on September 19.
According to a report, there are indications that Shikhar Dhawan may make a comeback as the captain of the India ‘B’ team at the Asian Games, while the main team focuses on World Cup preparations.
The BCCI is going to take the decision over the Asian Games squad on July 7 when the Annual General Meeting takes place. The Asian Games is scheduled to stage from September 23-October 8, 2023.
As the dates of the Asian Games 2023 clashes with the ICC World Cup 2023, BCCI decides to send the India B team under Dhawan to feature in the Asia Games 2023.
Dhawan has a fantastic record in multi-nation tournaments, having scored 537 runs in 10 innings in the ICC ODI World Cup.
Dhawan holds the record for the highest run-scorer for India in their victorious ICC Champions Trophy 2013. Dhawan averages 44.11 with 17 centuries and 39 half-centuries in 163 ODI innings.
BCCI board plans on Asian Games 2023
In three editions of Asian Games Cricket, India has never won a medal. In fact, BCCI refused to send a team in 2014 when cricket was part of it. The last time India took part in Asiad cricket was back in 1998. BCCI once again sent a second-string team but India suffered humiliation.
“Through effective planning, communication, and coordination, the BCCI aims to navigate those challenges successfully and contribute to the national cause by fielding a team in both men’s and women’s categories in line with the Government of India’s directions,” the board said.
Now that India’s bench strength is at par or even better than England and Australia, India has a T20 squad, likely led by Shikhar Dhawan.
As Dhawan is not in plans for World Cup 2023, he is the only senior player who will be in the Asiad squad. The rest of the squad will consist of IPL performers and from IND vs IRE series.
Possible squad for Asian games
Shikhar Dhawan (c), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sai Sudharsan, Krunal Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Akash Madhwal, Navdeep Saini, Prasidh Krishna.
