With less than a month left for the Asia Cup to begin, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has stepped up its preparations. The board is expected to announce the team by the third week of August. Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav is not fully fit yet, while all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s playing will depend on his fitness test. Pandya has reached Bengaluru for the fitness test. All eyes are on his fitness. Let’s know about the possible changes in the Indian team and the schedule of the most exciting match of the Asia Cup, India vs Pakistan.
Fitness test of Hardik Pandya and Shreyas Iyer
According to a Times of India report, star all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s fitness test will be held today (August 11) and tomorrow (August 12) at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Pandya played an important role in making India champions in the T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy this year. He performed brilliantly with both the ball and the bat.
At the same time, Shreyas Iyer’s fitness test was held on 27 and 29 July. This year, under his captaincy, he led the Punjab Kings to the finals. However, Iyer has not played any international T20 match since December 2023. It will be interesting to see if Iyer gets a place in the Asia Cup team or not.
If Surya is not fit, who will become the captain
Captain Suryakumar Yadav is not fully fit yet, and it may take him another week to recover. If Surya is not fit, then the question arises, who will captain Team India? In such a situation, Hardik Pandya is a strong contender. That is why Pandya’s fitness test becomes very important.
India-Pakistan can face off 3 times in the Asia Cup
India has been placed in Group A of the Asia Cup, in which it has Pakistan, the UAE, and Oman. The first match between India and Pakistan is to be held in Dubai on 14 September. It is quite likely that only India and Pakistan will go to the Super 4 from Group A, in which case, both teams will face each other once again. If both these teams reach the final, then we can get to see the India vs Pakistan match a total of 3 times in the month of September.
India’s match schedule in the Asia Cup
10 September India vs UAE Dubai 7:30 pm
14 September India vs Pakistan, Dubai, 7:30 pm
19 September India vs Oman, Abu Dhabi, 7:30 pm
The Super 4 matches will start from September 20. The top 2 teams out of these four teams will clash in the final on September 28 at the Dubai International Stadium.