In the aftermath of the West Indies series defeat, Harbhajan presented a harsh truth involving Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
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2023 Asia Cup Team Speculations and Harbhajan Singh’s Reality Check After West Indies Series
If rumors are accurate, Indian cricket fans will be formally informed of the final 15 players who will represent their country in the 2023 Asia Cup starting on August 20. Before the major announcements, experts have already voiced their opinions on the potential composition of the team. In a conversation that took place on Star Sports earlier this week, people like Ravi Shastri, Sandeep Patil, and MSK Prasad selected their 15 players. In addition to announcing his India team for the event on Friday, veteran Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh also provided a hard-hitting reality check for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the aftermath of the West Indies series defeat.
Given the timing of the outcomes, the majority of analysts are alarmed by India’s forgettable white-ball trip to the West Indies. It was the only tournament for India before to the start of the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup at home. Although they narrowly avoided losing the ODI series against a team that didn’t advance to the 50-over competition this year, they lost the T20I match by a score of 2-3.
Harbhajan Singh’s Surprise and Warning Amid India’s West Indies Defeat
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan acknowledged that he was taken aback by the outcomes of the trip, about which he had been the least concerned. He continued by reminding the Indian squad that while many would claim that Rohit and Kohli’s absence made the team weaker, the two veterans wouldn’t remain in the lineup indefinitely.
“I believed India would easily win the series. However, the outcome has startled and alarmed many people. West Indies defeated us, and that shocked me as well—they weren’t even in the World Cup. This is a significant accomplishment for the West Indies, but India has serious concerns. Even if Kohli and Rohit weren’t present and wouldn’t remain for long, this will teach the young West Indies tour team a lot. I’ve previously suggested that India can have two or three teams, and they still have the ability to do so,” he remarked.
Harbhajan picks his 15-man India squad for Asia Cup
The renowned off-spinner also selected the Indian squad for the 2023 Asia Cup, leaving out two well-known players, in the video. He supported Tilak Varma’s selection in the Asia Cup squad after an outstanding T20I appearance in the West Indies and supported Suryakumar Yadav for a middle-order position despite the batter averaging less than 12 in the nine innings he played in the tournament this year.
A fast-bowling all-arounder named Hardik Pandya, three choices for three-spin bowling in Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Yuzvendra Chahal, and four starters for speed bowling make up Harbhajan’s squad.
The seasoned cricketer chose KL Rahul as well, who hasn’t played since suffering a hamstring injury in May during IPL 2023. “He is a proven player, and if you want to see him in the World Cup squad, this is the right time to bring him back,” he added of the wicketkeeper-batter. Sanju Samson and Shreyas Iyer, however, were ignored by him.
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