In the ongoing Asia Cup 2023, things have finally come down to the business end, as India have already qualified for the finals. With Bangladesh already out of contention for a finals berth, the winner of the Super 4 clash between Sri Lanka and Pakistan will face the Men in Blue on Sunday, September 17. Thus, the last Super 4 fixture between India and Bangladesh on September 15 will eventually be a dead rubber.
Recently, reports have emerged claiming that India might make several changes to their playing XI for the clash on Friday. Reportedly, the Indian bowling coach Paras Mhambrey came forward and said that the team is open to making changes, especially in the bowling department. Mhambrey also said that the game against Shakib Al Hasan & Co. has given the team the luxury of giving rested players a chance, as they have already qualified for the summit clash.
"We have an opportunity to give the rest of the players a chance to play. So definitely it is open. I think the captain will announce it tomorrow (Friday). But it is an option as we have already qualified (for the final), so we will see tomorrow," the bowling coach said as per Cricbuzz.
Notably, since changes are expected in the bowling department, it might be seen that the pace duo of Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah will be rested. Needless to say, Mohammed Shami and Prasidh Krishna will most likely replace them to manage the pace department. Indian vice-captain Hardik Pandya might also make way for all-rounder Shardul Thakur.
The most talked about position in question is that of Shreyas Iyer, who has missed the last couple of games due to back spasm. Unfortunately, the middle-order batter will have to warm the bench again, as he is not said to have fully recovered. However, this might come as a blessing in disguise for players like Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma, who haven't played a single game in the tournament so far.
With the big tournament like the 2023 ODI World Cup less than a month away, the team will want to give game time to all the players who have been chosen for the marquee event, and thus, up to four or five changes might be seen in the clash against Bangla Tigers on Friday.
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