Ruturaj Gaikwad, one of the young stars of the Indian batting, will lead the Indian side in the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. Earlier, speculations had suggested that experienced Indian batsman Shikhar Dhawan might lead the team during the event scheduled from September 19 to October 8. However, the BCCI selectors have picked Gaikwad to lead the side after his impressive run of form in List A cricket as well as in the IPL. Additionally, talented middle-order batsman Rinku Singh has earned his first call-up to the national team, while Jitesh Sharma has been selected as the wicketkeeper.


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Ruturaj Gaikwad, who will lead the team in China, is currently part of the Test squad on tour in the Caribbean. Rinku Singh expressed his excitement by sharing a post on KKR's social media, featuring him in the Indian jersey, along with a 'target' emoticon. His impressive batting performances for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League have left a lasting impact.



In the recently concluded IPL 2023, Rinku Singh emerged as one of the stars as he amassed 474 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 149.53. He also registered four half-centuries during this period. One of his most memorable moments was an extraordinary chase in IPL history, where he smacked 28 runs off just five balls in the last over against the Gujarat Titans (GT). Throughout the season, Rinku showcased his temperament and superb skills. He has also been a prolific run-scorer in first-class cricket and this selection into the Indian team seems to have come at the right time.


The selection of the squad clearly indicates the preference of the BCCI selectors for young players. This decision to pick up a young side was made keeping in mind the overlap between the Asian Games and the beginning of the ODI World Cup. As a result, a different has been formed for the Asian Games. Notable players who have been given an opportunity include Yashasvi Jaiswal, who made an outstanding debut for India against the West Indies. The Asian Games squad also comprises IPL stars such as Tilak Varma, Ravi Bishnoi, Shivam Dube, Avesh Khan, and Arshdeep Singh.


Team India (Senior Men) squad for 19th Asian Games: Ruturaj Gaikwad (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul Tripathi, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Shivam Mavi, Shivam Dube, Prabhsimran Singh (wk)


Standby list of players: Yash Thakur, Sai Kishore, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Sai Sudarsan.