India announce Asia Cup squad
India Team
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India announced a 17-member Asia Cup squad on Monday as KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer have been selected in the squad after recovering in time from a thigh and back injury respectively.
Tilak Varma, a rookie left-hander who has yet to make his ODI debut, named in the squad.
Fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna have both been included, having made their international comebacks during the present T20I series in Ireland after recovering from back operations.
Mohammed Shami returns after missing the entire West Indies trip, while Mohammed Siraj and allrounders Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur round out the pace attack.
Experienced leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has been dropped from the squad, with Kuldeep Yadav preferred as the wrist-spinner along with two finger-spinning all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.
Ishan Kishan was chosen over Sanju Samson as the squad's second wicketkeeper following Rahul, with the left-hander also serving as a reserve opener. Samson, on the other hand, will travel to Sri Lanka as a reserve.
Rohit Sharma said the team will need its youngsters to be flexible.
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"Flexibility is important," Rohit said. "But we don't go crazy. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan (not in team) have opened for India in the last seven years. Kohli bats at three. New boys who bat at number four or five, they should be open to bat anywhere."
India begin their Asia Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan in Pallekele on September 2 before taking on minnows Nepal in their second outing.
"We will work on shortcomings in our upcoming five-day-long camp in Bangalore ahead of the Asia Cup," said Rohit.
On the prospect of meeting Pakistan thrice in the tournament -- including in the final -- Rohit said: "It's not just Pakistan, there are other teams.
"Sri Lanka won the Asia Cup (T20 format) last year. So there are other teams who are playing good cricket and will challenge us."
India have suffered a world title drought since the 2013 Champions Trophy, and last won a 50-over World Cup on home soil in 2011.
Rohit played down his team's chances in the tournament when it returns home.
"There is no such thing as favourites or underdogs," Rohit said when asked whether India would be considered the team to beat in the World Cup.
He added: "As our prep is concerned this (Asia Cup) is the right tournament for us to go and perform well. Test ourselves, try and put ourselves under pressure and respond to that pressure."
India begin their campaign against Pakistan on September 2 in Pallekele before taking on Nepal on September 4 ahead of the Super Fours stage.
India squad for Asia Cup: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Ishan Kishan, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Prasidh Krishna
Reserve player: Sanju Samson
