Asian Games: Cricket will make a return to this year’s Asian Games, which will be held in China from September 23 to October 8. Only twice before has the sport been in the quadrennial multi-sport event, in 2010 and 2014. However, due to international obligations, India did not field a team in any event.
According to rumours, India will send a second-string squad this time (the competition will overlap with the 2023 ODI World Cup, therefore no first-team players would be available), led by Shikhar Dhawan. That might not be the best choice.
The left-handed batsman was highly chastised for his primarily reactive captaincy of the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL 2023, which saw the side finish eighth. Furthermore, while it is a T20 event, Dhawan hasn’t played a T20I since July 2021. He batted well in the IPL, but other, younger openers fared considerably better.
Giving Dhawan the armband at the age of 37 means not only denying an opening batter a chance to play for India, but also passing up a wonderful opportunity to assess a potential future captain’s leadership abilities.
Here are three names who should be considered for India’s lead in the Asian Games:
#1 Ruturaj Gaikwad
“From what I’ve seen of Krunal Pandya, he’s a terrific reader of the game,” Sunil Gavaskar told Star Sports at the time. “Before he was captain, he used to play for the Mumbai Indians, and even there, his reading of the game and of the situation was excellent. He bowls a varied line according to the batter’s power, so it’s all about being attentive, as well as the fact that he assesses the opponents and his own game effectively.”
He’s expected to be one of the Asian Games squad’s all-rounders, and he may be the player with the most international experience after Dhawan.
Captaincy seemed to bring out the best in him as a batsman, as he scored 660 runs in the VHT at an average of 220 and smashed a 27-ball 64 against Kolhapur Tuskers in the opening match of the 2023 MPL.
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