India will lock horns with Hong Kong in their opening match at Asia Cup 2018, on September 18. Hong Kong won’t be able to pose a severe challenge, given how they played against Pakistan. For India, it will be a tricky situation to address – should they field a full strength side or a second-string side against the minnows!

As India will be playing against Pakistan, the next day, it can think of resting essential players in the opening match. However, stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma would also want his key players to get enough practice before the crucial tie on September 19. Asia Cup 2018 Schedule in PDF for Free Download: Timetable With List of All Matches in IST Including India vs Pakistan Fixture.

For India, the former Indian captain and the stand-in captain will play a crucial role in the multination tournament. A day before their clash, both MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma were seen sweating-out in the nets session. Asia Cup 2018 Schedule of India Matches for Free PDF Download: Timetable with Fixture & Dates When Indian Will Play Including Pakistan Clash.

All eyes would be on how Mahi performs in the ODI tournament. Not that India has a like-for-like replacement for Dhoni yet; however, his run-scoring ability has slowed down, and his big-hitting capability has taken a hit too. Asia Cup 2018 Points Table: Pakistan Beat Hong Kong, Take Top Spot in Group A Standings of Asian Cricket Tournament.

The IPL 2018 saw a glimpse of the ‘vintage Dhoni’ returning to fore; however, the ODI series in England was quite a disappointment. MS Dhoni would be looking to strike form and seek to reinvent his game, as he enters the last leg of his career.

Here’s a video of MS Dhoni practising for Asia Cup 2018!

As for Rohit Sharma, the ODI tournament would be a defining one. He has blown hot-and-cold throughout his career. The right-handed batsman would be looking to mark his authority into the series. And with Virat Kohli not playing the series, Rohit Sharma would also have to burden the responsibilities of the leader of the side.

Here’s a video of Rohit Sharma practising for Asia Cup 2018!

Both the senior players will be a vital cog in India’s Asia Cup 2018 campaign. Much of India’s chances would depend on how the duo perform on and off the field and keep the Indian camp alive and kicking, in Kohli’s absence.

Likely Indian XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan (vc), KL Rahul, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah.

Come Tuesday, India will take on Hong Kong in their tournament opener, in Dubai. How comprehensively will India win, would be the point of contention. Stay tuned with us for all the latest updates about Asia Cup 2018!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 17, 2018 09:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).