Five Players Who Could Play Asia Cup 2020 If Rohit Sharma Dons Captain’s Hat

Team India won the Asia Cup 2018 under Rohit Sharma’s leadership. The Men in Blue defeated Bangladesh in a closely fought match which the former eventually won by three wickets. In the year 2020, if regular skipper Virat Kohli is rested for the Asia Cup 2020, then Rohit could be in line, to be at the helm of affairs.

Having said that, today we will take a look at some players who would most certainly play if Rohit is handed the duties of a skipper, yet again for the Asia Cup, that is due to be held in September later this year.

Here are five players who could play the Asia Cup 2020 under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy:

5) Deepak Chahar

It will be fair to say that Deepak Chahar has been in a sensational form whenever he plays under the leadership of Rohit Sharma. In an older T20I series against Bangladesh, Chahar picked up the ‘Man of the Series’ award, while Rohit was calling the shots for India.

Chahar’s ability to swing the ball both ways has been a big plus for him in the past few years. He is one of the up and coming stars of Indian cricket, and certainly, the 27-year-old’s name will be on the agenda if Rohit is handed the responsibilities of the national team at the Asia Cup 2020.

The Agra born player has played just three ODIs for India but he has 10 caps already in T20Is, whilst Chahar also has 17 scalps to his name in the 20-overs format.

4) Krunal Pandya

The older sibling among the Pandya brothers, Krunal plays for Mumbai Indians (MI) under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The 28-year-old’s record, speaks for itself, since making his debut for India, he has played 18 matches, scoring 121 runs in the process, whilst also adding 14 wickets to his name. The numbers clearly highlight Krunal’s potential but he hasn’t been backed so far.

The all-rounder from Baroda has never been a regular under Virat Kohli, but having played for a long time under Rohit, he could be in the running for India’s squad at the Asia Cup 2020.

Having said that though, a lot will depend on how well he fares at the upcoming IPL season.

3) Rishabh Pant

From being heralded as MS Dhoni’s successor to warming the bench in limited-overs formats against New Zealand, Rishabh Pant has been handed a serious reality check.

The 22-year-old is certainly talented, but he has lacked a certain consistency which is currently holding back Pant, from becoming a regular player for India.

Pant’s struggles under Virat Kohli could be ended if Rohit is handed the captaincy for the Asia Cup 2020. Pant has always been in the good books of Rohit, and it could help the middle-order batsman’s case in the near future.

Moreover, Pant is a player who thrives on confidence, and once he finds his groove, there is no stopping this young man. A player renowned for his ultra-aggressive batting style, much of his future regarding the Asia Cup will be decided by the left-arm batsman’s performances in the upcoming IPL season.

2) Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar too has been a handy player for India under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma. The Asia Cup 2020 will be held in Dubai, and it will be played in the T20I format. Moreover, Sundar is considered a specialist in the shortest format.

He picked up the ‘Man of the Series’ title when India romped to victory at the Nidahas trophy where Rohit utilised Sundar very effectively.

Under Virat Kohli, the all-rounder from Tamil Nadu has been a fringe player, but could be a regular feature for India, if Rohit is named as the skipper once again.

Sundar will be among the players who are likely to be benefitted the most from the change in leadership.

1) Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal has been a loyal servant for Team India in the T20I format, for the past few years. He is also known to be very close to Rohit Sharma, the duo is often seen having a joke on each other on social media.

If Rohit is named as the skipper for Asia Cup 2020, then Chahal will almost certainly play all the matches for India, because he’s got that ability to change the course of a game, on his own.

The 29-year-old has already amassed 42 caps for the national team in T20I format, having taken 55 wickets as well.

In all certainty, Chahal will turn out for India at the Asia Cup, although the right arm spinner will benefit a lot from Rohit Sharma’s captaincy.