Cricket News: The buzz around the selection of the Indian squad for the Asia Cup 

Since India announced the squad for Asia Cup, the primary concern surrounding the team and fans has been missing the services of their pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. In his absence, the Indian squad now comprises just three front-line fast bowling options, with Hardik Pandya being the all-rounder.

The three pacers with a possible option in Hardik Pandya and Deepak Chahar

After an impressive IPL stint, Avesh Khan emerged as the inconsistent pacer for India in T20Is. In 13 T20Is, he has taken 11 wickets with a worrisome average of 31.81. Apart from the average, he had an economy of 11, 10.75 and 10.15 in the last three T20Is. 

Arshdeep Singh had an impressive start in his international career, bagging Man of the Series. He has an impressive average of 14.56 and an economy of 6.34. Bowling on flat pitches favouring batters will be a test for the newly found left-arm pacer. 

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is India's only experienced pacer in its squad, and the bowling department will highly depend on the new-ball specialist. 

Besides, India has another pacer option in the form of Deepak Chahar, who has been kept on standby. He has been absent from IPL and international cricket for quite a long time and is the only valid reason for him not being in the main 15-member squad. 

Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya as an all-rounder and his form with bat and ball will be a huge positive for the Indian pace department strength. He will carry a huge role in controlling the flow of runs alongside inexperienced bowlers Avesh Khan and Arshdeep Singh. 

Return of Virat Kohli 

Virat Kohli has not been in the best form with his bat in T20Is. He has been relatively short of match practice in the T20 format with sporadic appearances since the 2021 T20 World Cup. In the four T20Is played, he is averaging 20.25. 

He carries a stunning average of 60 in Asia Cups to be one of the prolific run-scorers in the history of this tournament. Amid his lean patch, the contest can be an excellent form revival opportunity for him before the World Cup in Australia. 

Essential series for Ravi Bishnoi

With just three front-line pacers, the Indian bowling attack heavily depends on its spinners for the tournament. With the presence of veteran Ravichandran Ashwin, leggie Yuzvendra Chahal, left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja and googly player Ravi Bishnoi's spin bowling attack looks strong. 

Amid this experienced spin bowling attack, it is an essential series for Ravi Bishnoi. He was impressed with his variations and capabilities taking 15 wickets in 9 matches at an economy of 7.15. Thus, his mastery of googly will be crucial in leaving opponent batters bamboozled.