Asia Cup 2023: If India doesn’t lose early wickets, it is their game – Sanjay Manjrekar feels top-order will hold key against Pakistan

Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar reckons India’s top-order of Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli will hold the key in the high-octane clash against Pakistan in the Asia Cup. Manjrekar reckons the trio are technically strong Test batters and they will need to back their game in order to succeed in the 50-overs version.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have all the experience under their belt in the One-Day format and they are going to hold the key against Pakistan. Furthermore, Shubman Gill has been in fantastic form in 2023.

Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill have scored 685 runs at an average of 76.11 in their nine partnerships. Rohit has amassed 9837 runs in 244 ODI matches at an average of 48.7, including 30 centuries. In the 16 matches of 2023, Rohit has scored 923 runs at an average of 48.57 across all three formats of the game.

On the other hand, Gill has scored 750 runs in 12 matches at an average of 68.18 and a strike rate of 109.01 in 2023.

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli has amassed 12898 runs in 275 ODI matches at an average of 57.32 and he is regarded as one of the best ODI batters of all time.

Furthermore, Kohli has scored 554 in the 12 ODIs he has played in 2023 at an average of 50.36 and he will look to continue the good form in the Asia Cup.

“See, fortunately for India, number one, two, and three, when Virat bats at number three, they are three very good test batters. And you might talk about 50 overs being a one-day match and white-ball cricket and all that, but the start of a 50 overs game is not like a T20 match,” Manjrekar said on Star Sports.

“I think there are some serious test cricket skills needed, and then Rohit Sharma got these five hundreds in the last World Cup. I remember him respecting the bowling in the first 10 overs. And these three guys – Gill, Rohit Sharma, and Virat – who have excellent credentials as defensive test batters, that is the game they’ll have to bring. If they don’t lose early wickets, then it’s just their game,” Manjrekar added.

India will begin their Asia Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele on September 2.