Virat Kohli rested, Rohit Sharma to lead India in 2018 Asia Cup

[hadi123]

I really hope Pakistan win but seeing all of our fans get so cocky assuming it's going to be easy for us is giving me anxiety. They can still definitely beat us without Kohli.

[Rightarmfast]

Best post in this thread so far. This was a perfect opportunity to test players like Gill, Shaw, Mavi etc but once again we choose players like Axar, Jadhav, Rayudu. We have all seen how they perform when they step outside of subcontinent.

Why waste our time on these players again and again? Pathetic squad. On one hand they have rested Kohli and giving a message that they don't care about Asia Cup and on the other hand bowlers like Bhuvi and Bumrah have been selected.

The question is, who's going to bell the cat? Who's going to hold the selection committee responsible? Time after time they are ignoring the best 11. If one thinks its just a mistake, it isn't. There obviously is a lot of wheeling dealing going on, a lot of money changing hands. Hell, we don't even have the best 11 currently in the Test series against India!

About time these leeches are held responsible!

[the_outsider]

Don't get your hopes up with Rohit. He is extremely inconsistent. His median ODI score is some 22, his average (and mean) is high due to his massive hundreds, which comes once in every 10 match. In the other matches he scores around 22 runs.

Those stats don't sound right. Can you show some data?

[gani999]

Don’t understand Selector’s obsession with Rayudu, Pandey, Jadhav and Thakur. Axar Patel too. Thats 5 bad selection out of 16.

I cannot understand why Rayudu is so disliked, particularly when he averages 50+ in the few ODIs he has played. He has a very sound technique and is better than Jadhav and Pandey anyday. Nothing wrong in him getting more chances.

People need to get over the fact that he played for the ICL.

[Rightarmfast]

Top post. The names you mentioned are garbage cricketers who don't deserve a spot in the squad.

Time and again we are seeing the same malaise. Indian cricket and the fans are suffering.

[Pete Rose]

The audience will show up either way. Pakistan and other teams should feel encouraged somewhat now that Kohli is resting

[RamLakhan]

There is only 1 match people remember between the 2 and in this case it was only 1 over

Go and lick your wounds.

Just like Venkatesh Prasad vs. Amir Sohail, Jadeja vs Waqar, Joginder Sharma vs. Misbah...

[Kashmiri_Pak_fan]

So India A will take part in the Asia Cup. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan have no excuse to not make the final outright now. Pakistan should play with the same intensity against India A as they would have with a full strength side.

So you are actually saying that India is one man army. Right?

[nextover666666]

A pretty squad to be honest bearing some selections the cool thing about this squad is if India wins the whole thing that can prove its not just one team , it's not just kohli or bust

[jeeteshssaxena]

Don't get your hopes up with Rohit. He is extremely inconsistent. His median ODI score is some 22, his average (and mean) is high due to his massive hundreds, which comes once in every 10 match. In the other matches he scores around 22 runs.

He is good enough to score 2 100 in
5-6matches. He has done it many times.
Secondly if you only consider his opening stint only then i dont think his median score will be 22.

[Usman Chadda]

So you are actually saying that India is one man army. Right?

Even the most optimistic Indian fan on this forum knows this.

[Asif321]

It’s full strength squad except Kohli
Hope Indians don’t bring in excuse we lost becuase no Kohli

[jeeteshssaxena]

He is good enough to score 2 100 in
5-6matches. He has done it many times.
Secondly if you only consider his opening stint only then i dont think his median score will be 22.

Thirdly median isn't a good way to check consistency, score of 22 is the score at which he got out max no. Of times but what is the second, third etc also matters.

[rexbamezai]

This is a very poor move by BCCI. This is a ' neither here, nor there' Indian team. They are still playing Bumrah and Bhuvi, who need rest. In batting, they still have an expired Dhoni in the team. In addition to them, DK, Axar, Rayadu, Jadhav, Shardul are not the players who are going to set the world on fire. These kind of players pull the Indian team 20 yrs back in time.

The BCCI is quietly slipping these players in so that, when they send all these seefarishi players in major tournaments, including WC, people will not raise eyebrows. Corruption to the core. Indian cricket is suffering big time due to bad and corrupted selection.

Whereas, an express quickie like Siraj has not been given chance, even Avesh and Prasidh could have come in to just have a feel of international cricket.

A blunder which will cost India dearly in the long run.

I agree. I feel both Bumrah and Pandya should have been rested. Siraj should have been picked. He's been in such good form lately and we've all seen the pace he is capable of bowling at.

[jeeteshssaxena]

Thirdly median isn't a good way to check consistency, score of 22 is the score at which he got out max no. Of times but what is the second, third etc also matters.

*second most frequent, third most frequent.

[RamLakhan]

I think Chahal & Kuldeep are enough to take care of Bangladesh, Srilanka, etc in UAE. Against Pakistan Bumrah, Rohit, Dhawan need to step up...

[Madplayer]

Sharamful squad by BCCI Money mongers : Not having kohli in UAE will surely hit the viewership. He would have played if the tournament was in India.

[Joseph Gomes]

Thirdly median isn't a good way to check consistency, score of 22 is the score at which he got out max no. Of times but what is the second, third etc also matters.

Median is a better way to check consistency than mean. It's literally for consistency. Mean can be bloated by an individual big scores. Median shows the most likely score you get out on.

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Poor from India unless Kohli is not injured. And lol at rest. Either you are fit or not injured ..Baqi insaan nai kia??

BTW I see the excuses have already begun. Are you guys really Pakiatani ya ego kuuch zada he hai k bhai ham to ghalat ho he nahi sktay, India meet gaye to ballay ballay aur haar gaye to its not a full strength team. Kuch sharam hoti hai kuch haya haya hoti hai.

[Joseph Gomes]

Those stats don't sound right. Can you show some data?

There you go. Rohit's median as of last year was 20. I don't think it has improved this year, but you can figure it out.

https://www.livemint.com/Sports/Teed...-averages.html

[Titan24]

All the people that were saying that it will be a B team need a reality check. If without Kohli its considered a B team then Indian team has some big issues.

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Ahahaha lmao at India A.

This is soo funny.

So India is a one man team, right?
In which world India would have the same players in A team as to those selected in Asia cup.

Abhi sai rona shoro abhi to tournament shoro he nai hua.

[Bilal7]

Still a pretty good team. Dislodging the Ultimate FTB, Rohit Sharma, on those UAE pitches will be a mission. Also, Rahul will be a pretty good stand-in #3 for India and the rest of their team is basically the same.

[Titan24]

Ahahaha lmao at India A.

This is soo funny.

So India is a one man team, right?
In which world India would have the same players in A team as to those selected in Asia cup.

Abhi sai rona shoro abhi to tournament shoro he nai hua.

Its ideal for them, if we lose they will say with we were able to beat you without Kohli/B team and if they lose they will say we were not full strength. Lol! What a defensive mentality.

Though we know what happened to their so called full strength team in CT 17 or at home in 2012.

[Titan24]

Lets see how many careers are destroyed just before the world cup. Ashwin, Jadeja, Yuvraj, Jhadav were the last of victims

[Brodipet_baadshah]

Lets see how many careers are destroyed just before the world cup. Ashwin, Jadeja, Yuvraj, Jhadav were the last of victims

Fyi jadhav is back again to the squad/team...hope it gets destroyed this tym though

[SarfiBabarHaris]

I really hope Pakistan win but seeing all of our fans get so cocky assuming it's going to be easy for us is giving me anxiety. They can still definitely beat us without Kohli.

True. No need to get arrogant.
Dont believe in this A team and one man army excuses. Still a very good team.
Wont be easy to beat them.

[kuskash]

Kohli plays: India is one man army
Without Kohli: India is strongest team minus Kohli

Which one is true?

[Titan24]

Fyi jadhav is back again to the squad/team...hope it gets destroyed this tym though

Yes he is in the squad but the career is already finished it is just gonna be nail in the coufin. I dont see him in India’s squad for World cup.

[Last Monetarist]

I'm getting the impression that Kohli has a very dim view of bilateral limited overs tournaments. He has been making a lot of noises recently on how cricketers need a break from time to time. Given what has happened to someone like AB De Villiers, who also cited the fact that having to play multiple formats took its toll mentally, I think the BCCI have made the right decision given the fact that India are touring Australia later this winter.

[Mamoon]

Kohli is the best player in the world by a mile, any team will be severely weakened without him.

If Pakistan cannot beat India without him, all this talk and chest-thumping of our so-called improvement will turn out to be hot air.

Considering the arrogance of our fans over the last year, you would think that even an Indian team with Kohli would be cannon fodder for us, so we should be expecting Pakistan to maul this Kohli-less India.

If we slip up, no excuse, justification or attempts to deflect the result will work. Winning all matches against India should be the minimum that we should expect from this team.

[MenInG]

Kohli is the best player in the world by a mile, any team will be severely weakened without him.

If Pakistan cannot beat India without him, all this talk and chest-thumping of our so-called improvement will turn out to be hot air.

Considering the arrogance of our fans over the last year, you would think that even an Indian team with Kohli would be cannon fodder for us, so we should be expecting Pakistan to maul this Kohli-less India.

If we slip up, no excuse, justification or attempts to deflect the result will work. Winning all matches against India should be the minimum that we should expect from this team.

Think you should have learnt your lesson after the fluke humiliation but clearly havent.

There is no chest thumping from anyone but a simple celebration of our victory.

We will lose if India play better than us, there is no shame in it and it will mean that we need to work harder.

[Titan24]

I really hope Pakistan win but seeing all of our fans get so cocky assuming it's going to be easy for us is giving me anxiety. They can still definitely beat us without Kohli.

Yes definitely India has been one of the most consistent teams in the world for some years now.

Though Pakistan team has improved a lot over the last year but still a lot of work to be done.

India definitely is the starting favourite, while Pak should try to be consistent against all the teams including, Srl, Bng, Afghanistan which are no way poor teams but Pak should win against them with the team they have if they dont lose the focus.

If Pak plays professional cricket through out Pak vs Ind would be an exciting contest.

[kuskash]

Think you should have learnt your lesson after the fluke humiliation but clearly havent.

There is no chest thumping from anyone but a simple celebration of our victory.

We will lose if India play better than us, there is no shame in it and it will mean that we need to work harder.

No, our fans were chest thumping. Some still bring CT win in Ind-Eng test or other threads, can you believe it?

[Titan24]

Kohli is the best player in the world by a mile, any team will be severely weakened without him.

If Pakistan cannot beat India without him, all this talk and chest-thumping of our so-called improvement will turn out to be hot air.

Considering the arrogance of our fans over the last year, you would think that even an Indian team with Kohli would be cannon fodder for us, so we should be expecting Pakistan to maul this Kohli-less India.

If we slip up, no excuse, justification or attempts to deflect the result will work. Winning all matches against India should be the minimum that we should expect from this team.

You do realize cricket is a team game?

What about your comments that India is a better team with better bowling and batting etc.

Turns out the difference in your mind was just Kohli.

[Titan24]

No, our fans were chest thumping. Some still bring CT win in Ind-Eng test or other threads, can you believe it?

So? Dont Indian fans bring in their world cup wins in matches against Pakistan that werent even finals? Isnt that chest thumping?

[SarfiBabarHaris]

No, our fans were chest thumping. Some still bring CT win in Ind-Eng test or other threads, can you believe it?

haha i like your posts
Our :p

[kuskash]

So? Dont Indian fans bring in their world cup wins in matches against Pakistan that werent even finals? Isnt that chest thumping?

I was writing in context of the post. Now other countries’ fans do chest thumping, does it justify our unnecessary chest thumping?

[Mamoon]

Think you should have learnt your lesson after the fluke humiliation but clearly havent.

There is no chest thumping from anyone but a simple celebration of our victory.

We will lose if India play better than us, there is no shame in it and it will mean that we need to work harder.

A “simple” celebration does not last for over a year. Our fans are still in the clouds because of the Champions Trophy, because the reality check in New Zealand was seemingly not enough. Our celebrations are/were arrogant and delusional.

Looks they are already nervous and frightened at the prospects of losing to an Indian team without Kohli.

This Asia Cup is a actually a lose-lose situation for those fans. They call Pakistan better than a full-strength India and cannot get over the Champions Trophy Final, so after all this talk, if they lose to an Indian team without Kohli, they will be greatly humiliated.

However, if they beat India without Kohli, it will not be a big deal. It is the minimum expectation in light of all the hype and chest-thumping.

[Titan24]

I was writing in context of the post. Now other countries’ fans do chest thumping, does it justify our unnecessary chest thumping?

Fans are same everywhere, you cant change the way they feel things.

Though there is a big difference between beating the team in the final of a tournament then any other match.

[Mamoon]

You do realize cricket is a team game?

What about your comments that India is a better team with better bowling and batting etc.

Turns out the difference in your mind was just Kohli.

Cricket is a team game but it does not always work that way. Kohli is the biggest difference maker in the world and his absence is a massive advantage for any team that India plays, irrespective of how its players match up to the other Indian players.

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Raina is clutch and should be part of world cup plans. India missing a trick.
Bit too late to introduce youngsters like Gill imo. Their time will come.

[Titan24]

A “simple” celebration does not last for over a year. Our fans are still in the clouds because of the Champions Trophy, because the reality check in New Zealand was seemingly not enough. Our celebrations are/were arrogant and delusional.

Looks they are already nervous and frightened at the prospects of losing to an Indian team without Kohli.

This Asia Cup is a actually a lose-lose situation for those fans. They call Pakistan better than a full-strength India and cannot get over the Champions Trophy Final, so after all this talk, if they lose to an Indian team without Kohli, they will be greatly humiliated.

However, if they beat India without Kohli, it will not be a big deal. It is the minimum expectation in light of all the hype and chest-thumping.

So it doesnt make a difference if we were without Junaid, Shinwari, Imad in NZ? And while Hassan was just coming out of injury?

But India without Kohli has suddenly become zero?

[kuskash]

Fans are same everywhere, you cant change the way they feel things.

Though there is a big difference between beating the team in the final of a tournament then any other match.

I do understand, but our teachers say that chest thumping is bad, very bad.

[Mamoon]

So it doesnt make a difference if we were without Junaid, Shinwari, Imad in NZ? And while Hassan was just coming out of injury?

But India without Kohli has suddenly become zero?

Shinwari has rarely been a regular for Pakistan, most fans think Imad is useless and Junaid has only recently made a comeback. You cannot compare that to playing without Kohli.

Pakistan lost in New Zealand not because of so and so reasons, but because the team is nowhere near as good as some think. It was a much needed reality check and people should ignore that reality check at their own peril.

[Titan24]

I do understand, but our teachers say that chest thumping is bad, very bad.

So good thing is our teachers are better than in India because they have been chest thumping about their world cup advantage for decades now and we have done this for just an year.

[kuskash]

So good thing is our teachers are better than in India because they have been chest thumping about their world cup advantage for decades now and we have done this for just an year.

You are right. Probably Indian teachers are saying the same thing but fans do not follow. It means fans are bad, our fans are very bad.

[Titan24]

Shinwari has rarely been a regular for Pakistan, most fans think Imad is useless and Junaid has only recently made a comeback. You cannot compare that to playing without Kohli.

Pakistan lost in New Zealand not because of so and so reasons, but because the team is nowhere near as good as some think. It was a much needed reality check and people should ignore that reality check at their own peril.

I accept that Junaid, Imad and Shinwari are nowhere comparable to Kohli.

But, at the same time I realize that Junaid, is the most experienced bowler in the current ODI bowlers of Pak and Shinwari is the best white ball swing bowler for Pak (excluding Amir on his peak day) and could have been leathal in NZ. Also NZ team has historically struggled against spin, last match which Nawaz played was the closest one in terms of losing by number lf runs so Imad could have been handy.

Irrespective of their individual characteristics, a team combination is always important for any team and post CT 17 it was hampered due to injuries in NZ. Not saying we would have necessarily won but surely the contest would have been a lot better.

[Titan24]

You are right. Probably Indian teachers are saying the same thing but fans do not follow. It means fans are bad, our fans are very bad.

Lol! How a fan celebrating a win in finals for just over a year is bad than a fan celebrating some useless wins in a world cup for decades?

Elaborate please

[cricketindiafan]

Only one good selection - Khaleel.

Two out of our 4 TTFs DK, Rayudu, Jadhav and Pandey will be in WC squad. Jadhav with his part time spin will have a stronger chance.

Axar Patel and Shardul Thakur keeps getting picked ahead of Krunal Pandya and Siraj.

Wonder why Hardik Pandya and Bumrah have been picked. Why not manage their workload?

And not picking Pant is a joke.

I do hope we get thrashed to knock some sense into the bunch of jokers running our cricket.

[kuskash]

Lol! How a fan celebrating a win in finals for just over a year is bad than a fan celebrating some useless wins in a world cup for decades?

Elaborate please

Its ok to bring WC wins if thread is about WC. Its chest thumping to bring CT win in Eng-Ind test thread. Hope you understand.

[RamLakhan]

Lol! How a fan celebrating a win in finals for just over a year is bad than a fan celebrating some useless wins in a world cup for decades?

Elaborate please

How can World Cup QF 1996, World Cup SF 2011, 1st T20 WC Finals useless matches? Please elaborate!

[Nil Dhumrojal]

I think Chahal & Kuldeep are enough to take care of Bangladesh, Srilanka, etc in UAE. Against Pakistan Bumrah, Rohit, Dhawan need to step up...

Yeah, seems like Pakistan is world beater

[cricketjoshila]

Rested? For what? He has barely 10 tests under his belt and a few ODIs, get out of here.

And Kohli is not being rested for laughs, he is being rested so that he can get treatment for his back, which has bothered him throughout the test series.

Rested for the Tests in Australia. Thats important not this Asia cup.

[TeamPak95]

India minus Kohli is... India A, B, C? Jokes aside, just compared the squad to their ENG ODIs and bar Kohli they're the same. I understand full well that Kohli makes a world of a difference in India's batting but this Asia Cup will give a good indication of whether or not India's batting just rides on Kohli's back.

Assuming they play thrice, I back Pakistan to win at least two (one of them hopefully being the final).

[lehen]

Very predictable side by India, they could have tried 7-8 new faces, damn!!!

[RehanG]

Kohli probably got scared of Amir..

Maybe they want to test out how well India can compete without Kohli in an multiteam tournament

[kuskash]

Kohli probably got scared of Amir..

Maybe they want to test out how well India can compete without Kohli in an multiteam tournament

Not only Amir, to Lakmal, Ruben as well.

[Titan24]

Its ok to bring WC wins if thread is about WC. Its chest thumping to bring CT win in Eng-Ind test thread. Hope you understand.

Yeah right, Indians only bring up world cup record when thread is about WC. Dude you are delusional of you dont see Indians chest thumping abt world cup everywhere

[Titan24]

How can World Cup QF 1996, World Cup SF 2011, 1st T20 WC Finals useless matches? Please elaborate!

Yes these become just 3 important matches even after including T20 world cup and last of it happened in 2011 almost 7 years ago.

Other than these 3 matches all matches in so called streak are useless.

[Darkrai]

Kohli is the best player in the world by a mile, any team will be severely weakened without him.

If Pakistan cannot beat India without him, all this talk and chest-thumping of our so-called improvement will turn out to be hot air.

Considering the arrogance of our fans over the last year, you would think that even an Indian team with Kohli would be cannon fodder for us, so we should be expecting Pakistan to maul this Kohli-less India.

If we slip up, no excuse, justification or attempts to deflect the result will work. Winning all matches against India should be the minimum that we should expect from this team.

You are already giving excuses. Even if we beat India you will say we beat weakened India, ignoring the fact we beat India with Kohli by 180 runs.

Your mighty Indian team is so weakened without Kohli that you say Pakistan should win all matches against India. The same Pakistan team you consider to be crap, a team according to you, that is heading towards dark-ages and being left behind by Bangladesh? That same team should now min win all matches against India? Just because they don't have their best player?....give me a break...you're too much Mamoon.

[JaDed]

It will be a good series will finally come to know how Rohit is with responsibility, Khaleel being selected in UAE is sad start for him but hopefully we don't drop him if he doesn't perform in UAE.

[Titan24]

Not only Amir, to Lakmal, Ruben as well.

You forgot Junaid, disassembling the stumps of Kohli in 2012 and getting him out God knows how many times. Lol!

[imshally81]

As expected, India didn’t go with the full squad and rested the best player in the world.

A moment of silence for some of our Pakistani fans who were adamant that Kohli will play because India cannot afford to send a weakened team to a tournament where they will play Pakistan multiple times.

My apologies, but please feel free to lick your wounds.

As expected... Kohli is scared....

[Napa]

Bumrah should have been rested too.

I thought the same thing. Bhuvi should have been rested too. India needs to manage the workload of its pacers better.

[Titan24]

India is gonna struggle big time as even some Indian fans are saying that team is a lot weaker without Kohli.

So once Kohli is out it means half of the team is gone. I dont think such team can win any major tournament unless ofcourse its a fluke.

[Usman Chadda]

Pant missing out is a huge surprise.

[dani2k]

I think the BCCI still would rest a few players in this Asia cup ODI squad when the Windies come calling a week after the Asia cup is over.

People like Dhawan could be rested even for tests once the Asia cup is over, even Rahul for that matter. With Vijay coming back to open along with the young Prithvi Shaw.

So don't get disheartened with the non inclusion of few deserving players. We could still see them during the home series against the Windies

[aloo paratha]

So not exactly an 'A' team like some Indians were boasting about.

[freelance_cricketer]

This is not a B team. This is Indian selectors being lazy. This should have been the time to blood all the exciting 19-22 aged players who have been doing great.

[Titan24]

So not exactly an 'A' team like some Indians were boasting about.

Tragedy is they consider this team A without kohli and still they are gonna hype about how they are gonna win big tournaments with such a team, if its as bad as they are saying without Kohli.

[BlackShadow]

India is gonna struggle big time as even some Indian fans are saying that team is a lot weaker without Kohli.

So once Kohli is out it means half of the team is gone. I dont think such team can win any major tournament unless ofcourse its a fluke.

True. India against world #5, #7 and #8 isn't a major tournament though, so I think we are good here.

[troodon]

The TTF’s are back in the squad with full vengeance.

Pandey, Jadhav are passengers. Dhoni is there for air miles.

Will be awesome to see Pandey, Jadhav and Fhoni huff and puff to score at 4 an over.

This was the ideal opportunity to try Shaw, Gil, Agarwal, Mavi and Nagarkoti.

Should have rested BK, Bumrah and Pandya too.

[troodon]

Pant missing out is a huge surprise.

Dada Ji Dhoni will be upset if Pant is in the squad.

With Karthik in the squad, Dhoni will not feel too old.

[BlackShadow]

Dada Ji Dhoni will be upset if Pant is in the squad.

With Karthik in the squad, Dhoni will not feel too old.

Gotta keep Dhoni relevant, he is worth millions to the sponsors.

[PakLFC]

Good for India to drop Kohli. They will have an excuse after losing to Pakistan again that our best batsman wasn't playing

[kuskash]

Good for India to drop Kohli. They will have an excuse after losing to Pakistan again that our best batsman wasn't playing

Chalo bhai India will have an excuse. What excuse will we use?

[PakLFC]

Chalo bhai India will have an excuse. What excuse will we use?

We beat India in the Champions Trophy final by 200 runs I am never gonna let this one go Also will tell them that Kohli does not guarantee a victory. Being Amir's bunny he rightfully doesn't want to play this one

[RamLakhan]

Yes these become just 3 important matches even after including T20 world cup and last of it happened in 2011 almost 7 years ago.

Other than these 3 matches all matches in so called streak are useless.

Then what else is important for you? Single CT triumph or Chetan Sharma sixer?

[Canford Cliffs]

I know we (Indians) are in a foreign forum and need to defend our players but how can anyone justify Kohli sitting out?? He is not injured else would not have been playing the test matches. With world cup only few months away, why would a captain of the team want to opt out?? Should he not be building the ODI team before the world cup??

Pandya, Rahul, Dhawan, Bumrah etc all have had similar workload as Kohli but they will still play. But our captain decided to opt out leaving the team on its own?

I dont care who wins between Ind or Pak but its a very bad preceedent set by an Indian captain. MSD captained this side for 10 years but never opted out of a series saying its insignificant.

If Kohli thinks he will pick and choose series, he can play as a batsman and handover the LOI captaincy to Rohit.