Opinion India may be the favourite to win Asia Cup but Suryakumar Yadav’s team will be tested

A couple of months after India won the 1983 World Cup, some Asian countries came together to form the Asian Cricket Conference (Conference would later change to Council). It was decided that the first international cricket tournament to be played outside the purview of the International Cricket Council would be the Asia Cup in 1984. It’s apt that this event returns to the UAE, for it was in Sharjah that the first edition was played. Perhaps for the first time, India stands as an overwhelming favourite to win this year.

In the initial years of the tournament, it was thought that the main contest would be between Pakistan and India. But in its first 12 years, Sri Lanka and India won the trophy five times apiece, with Pakistan winning just twice. After the early years of the tournament, things changed and these days, the gap between India and the rest seems like a deep chasm. That isn’t surprising considering India has numerous state-level T20 leagues feeding talent into the IPL, the Big Daddy of T20 in world cricket.

Advertisement

Though it looks strong on paper, this Indian team is relatively young and new. It’s the first big T20 tournament without the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli or Ravindra Jadeja. It’s the first big event for captain Suryakumar Yadav, and though he has been leading successfully for a while now, his hold on the team will be tested with the inclusion of Shubman Gill, the Test captain, into the squad. India don’t have an ODI captain as yet as they haven’t played a game after Rohit Sharma lifted the Champions Trophy and considering Suryakumar doesn’t always find a place in the ODIs, it’s expected that Gill might be given that role. That leaves Suryakumar holding the reins in T20 for now, and a triumph in Asia Cup will enable him to lead India in the T20 world cup early next year. Of course, if they don’t win here, it might well set the cat amongst the pigeons.