Ruturaj Gaikwad. (Photo source: BCCI/IPL)
Asia Cup 2023 will kick off on 30th August. Participating nations have already announced their playing squad, and so has India. The Indian contingent has started their preparatory camp at Alur. A few days back, the Chairman of the selection committee, Ajit Agarkar declared the 17-member squad for the tournament.
Almost all the expected members made their way into the squad except a few. The most surprising case is definitely Yuzvendra Chahal’s exclusion. He was expected to get selected but selectors had other plans in their mind. Prior to that announcement, experts threw in their views on the squad.
Some opinions were around picking up some top IPL performers and injecting some young blood into the team. Fans have seen earlier, that Indian selection gets impacted by the IPL performance. The world-class franchise league prepares the cricketers to grind through different circumstances. Let’s have a look at the
Top 5 IPL 2023 performers who missed out on India’s Asia Cup squad
5. Ruturaj Gaikwad
Chennai Super Kings’ dependable batter Ruturaj Gaikwad once again delivered a good season with the bat. He’s been a constant performer for his franchise over the last few seasons. In the 16 matches that he played in the 2023 season, he scored 590 runs averaging at an excellent 42.14. The Maharastra boy has got solid technique and when he gets going, it’s impossible to stop him.
Gaikwad has got the temperament to succeed at the highest level of the game. While striking over 146 in IPL 2023, he smashed 46 fours and 30 sixes. He has shown responsibility towards his batting which has been instrumental in the franchise’s success. He has already made his national debut but hasn’t quite made it yet.
He could have been there in the squad maybe as the third opener. Given his performance in List A matches, his name could have been discussed in case any injury happens. The prolific performer has already been on selectors’ radar. He has leadership qualities and may succeed Dhoni as their leader. Later this year, he will be leading the Indian side in the coming Asian games.
4. Varun Chakravarthy
Kolkata Knight Riders’ ace spinner Varun Chakravarthy could have been a surprise pick. Though he had already made his India debut in 20 overs format, he is yet to play one-day cricket. Since his debut, he’s been treated as a mystery spinner. But in the last few editions of IPL, batters read his variations quite well.
In this edition, he bowled superbly for KKR. Even at their den which isn’t favourable to the spinners, he turned up quite economical. He has worked on his bowling variations and seems to be mixing them up quite well.
This year, his IPL tally stands at 20 wickets in 14 innings that he bowled. Though he hasn’t played much of List A of matches, at present just in terms of bowling, he’s way ahead of others.
3. Shivam Dube
This edition’s IPL has revived many cricketers’ journey and among them, Shivam Dube is a notable one. The tall left-hand batter presented a new version of himself in this IPL. Playing under MS Dhoni and CSK has changed his way of playing, and Dube believes so.
Dube was utilized in the CSK middle order so well that he made up for their shortcomings. In the 14 innings that he batted, he scored over 400 runs striking at close to 160. He’s a clean striker of the ball and once he gets going, he sends the ball to a long distance. Though he is a right-hand medium pacer, MS didn’t give him bowl even once in IPL 2023.
A player of Dube’s caliber is hard to find in India. He ticks all the boxes a limited over side asks for. However, he had his time in the blue jersey four years back. Maybe the time has come again to throw the dice into the mix.
2. Yashasvi Jaiswal
The man of the moment Yashasvi Jaiswal had a remarkable WI tour a few weeks back. His impressive batting performance made fans forget about his young age. He’s technically sound and really belongs to Mumbai’s school class batting. The tall left-hand batter had his breakthrough IPL season this year.
Carrying forward his incredible batting form in the IPL, he played like a lone warrior for his franchise Rajasthan Royals. Scoring 625 runs that too at a strike rate of 163 speaks volumes about his batting performance. He looks calm and composed while opening the innings. Jaiswal is a swift timer of the ball and his hand-eye coordination works well as well.
In the absence of Shikhar Dhawan, Yashasvi could have been drafted into the side. He has age by his side and could have been a similar replacement. He’s a young agile fielder which is very much in demand in this fast-paced format. Post the 2023 Cricket World Cup, fans may get to see him as a regular feature on the side.
1. Yuzvendra Chahal
India’s prominent leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has missed out on India’s squad to Sri Lanka for the Asia Cup. Many cricket experts saw it happening considering the form he’s been in. In the recent past, he has lagged behind drastically. It is assumed that with this exclusion, his dream of playing CWC at home may end as well.
Just like any other IPL season, Chahal was among the highest wicket-takers. He claimed 21 wickets in 14 matches that he played for Rajasthan Royals. He’s bowled in different phases of the game and tried to add new swords to his armoury.
More than his bowling performance, he missed out primarily due to batting capabilities. Instead of him, an all rounder was prioritised given Rohit Sharma vouched for batting depth. Team management could have kept faith in him considering he has a vast experience of playing all over India. He can share the workload with his mate Kuldeep, bringing back the ‘Kul Cha’ hunt in pair.
