India will be without pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in the upcoming Asia Cup. The fast bowler reportedly has been ruled out of the tournament due to a back injury, with India trying to ensure that their first team regulars remain fresh going into the T20 World Cup later this year.
However, India have a wealth of young fast bowling attack to bank on in their squad, with Avesh Khan and Arshdeep Singh both getting significant match time under their belts during recent bilateral series against the likes of Zimbabwe and Ireland. The pair also got sporadic chances in India's tour of England. Moreover, the experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar seems to have found a second wind, as has all-rounder Hardik Pandya.
Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar believes that while Bumrah is a great bowler, the availability of experience and talent means that Rohit Sharma won't find the going too difficult without him. “Bumrah is a great bowler and he did extremely well in the past. But I would say that India has got a fantastic bench strength. In the IPL they discovered a lot of fast bowlers. There are lot of options now as far as fast bowling is concerned and good spinners are concerned. I think we won't be missing anyone for that matter,” said Vengsarkar while speaking to cricket enthusiast Anis Sajan on his YouTube channel.
Vengsarkar said that the re-emergence of Pandya as a genuine all-rounder adds a lot of balance to the squad. “Batting was always a strong point and India has a very balanced team with Hardik Pandya coming in. He is a great all-rounder and in fantastic form. We hope he does well. Avesh and Arshdeep have tremendous potential. If you see the way they bowled in the high pressure IPL games, it was outstanding. I am glad that they have been included in the squad and I am sure they will deliver,” said the former India selector.
{{/usCountry}}Vengsarkar said that the re-emergence of Pandya as a genuine all-rounder adds a lot of balance to the squad. “Batting was always a strong point and India has a very balanced team with Hardik Pandya coming in. He is a great all-rounder and in fantastic form. We hope he does well. Avesh and Arshdeep have tremendous potential. If you see the way they bowled in the high pressure IPL games, it was outstanding. I am glad that they have been included in the squad and I am sure they will deliver,” said the former India selector.
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