Asia Cup 2018: 3 Indian players who deserve a chance to play in the tournament

The Asia Cup is set to kick off tomorrow with Bangladesh taking on Sri Lanka. India will begin their journey on Tuesday against Hong Kong.

The Indian fans will be looking to put the disappointment of the English tour behind them by lifting the Asia Cup. Team India clearly has the best team on the continent but the management has decided to rest some key players for the tournament.

As a result, the team will be travelling to UAE without their captain Virat Kohli. In Kohli's absence, Rohit Sharma will be leading a youthful Indian side in the tournament.

Let's take a look at three Indian players who deserve a chance to play in the starting XI at the Asia Cup.

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#3 KL Rahul

Rahul deserves a chance in UAE.

Admittedly, KL Rahul had a torrid time in England. He flopped in both ODIs and Tests before scoring an incredible 149 in the final innings of the last Test. That knock showcased the talent and ability that Rahul has. He only needs to get it together to become one of Team India's most dependable batsmen.

The team must keep faith in Rahul's abilities. With all due respect, Hong Kong are not the strongest team in the tournament and if Rahul manages to get a big knock against them, then he could regain his confidence and probably go on to have a huge tournament.

Dropping Rahul now might bring short-term benefits but he is expected to be a part of this team for years to come. Not playing him in such an important tournament might harm his confidence further. He at least deserves another chance to showcase his abilities in the Indian jersey.

#2 Ambati Rayudu

Rayudu is in the squad after a long time.

For years, Ambati Rayudu has been one of India's best players on the domestic circuit. But that form has failed to get him a permanent place in the national team. In fact, his last ODI was against Zimbabwe back in 2016.

But now that he has been recalled into the squad, he deserves a spot in the side. This year in the IPL, he showed that he is a dependable run-scorer on subcontinental wickets. And considering how similar the UAE tracks will be to the Indian pitches, Rayudu should have no problems putting runs on the board.

At 32, this is probably Rayudu's last chance to become a permanent member of the Indian team. But a lot will depend on how he performs in UAE. The veteran deserves a chance to show his abilities in the upcoming days.

#1 Axar Patel

Axar should be in the first team.

Axar Patel will most probably find himself as the third-choice spinner in the squad after Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. But, what should get him a place in the squad is his ability with the bat in hand.

As England showcased in the recently concluded series, runs in the lower-order can change the course of a match. But, India had a terrible time trying to get runs from anywhere other than its middle-order.

Axar Patel will give the team a batting option deep into the order, while his left arm spin should prove fatal on the turning pitches of UAE. He can also form a lethal left-right spin combination with Yuzvendra Chahal. The team management would be making a savvy decision if they pick Axar Patel ahead of Kuldeep Yadav in the first XI.