The India Asia Cup camp will be a five-day preparatory practice session ahead of the event, which is set to commence in Alur from August 25.
Players currently in Ireland for the T20I series such as Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson, and Tilak Varma, are scheduled to join the camp a day later. The Asia Cup begins in Pakistan on August 30, with India’s first game on September 2 against Pakistan in Sri Lanka.
Also read: India Asia Cup squad announced: Rahul, Iyer return
Inside sources indicate that the primary objective of the India Asia Cup camp is to hone the players' skills ahead of the highly anticipated Asia Cup tournament, which will act as a precursor to the World Cup, from October 5 in India.
A senior official from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) disclosed that the players not taking part in the Ireland series will be arriving in Bengaluru by the evening of August 23 for the Alur camp. Conversely, those touring Ireland will depart on August 24 for India.
Their itinerary involves returning to their respective hometowns before converging in Alur on August 25. They will join the camp on August 26.
This upcoming preparatory India Asia Cup camp serves a dual purpose: not only will it give some much-needed match practice to the members of the Asia Cup, but it will also involve the participation of 14 net bowlers in a bid to get the batters to face different type of bowlers ahead of the two multi-nation events. It will also allow the India bowlers to manage their workloads during the camp.
“To ensure the intensity and quality of net sessions remains high without exhausting the bowling resources, 14 net bowlers will join the Asia Cup preparatory camp,” a BCCI official explained, as reported by CricketNext.
The coaching team, led by the head coach Rahul Dravid, will be present at the India Asia Cup camp, ensuring a holistic approach to player development. Additionally, the senior men's selection committee, under the guidance of chairman Ajit Agarkar, will oversee the proceedings.
A special emphasis will be placed on players making a return from injuries, particularly batters KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer. Their performance during the camp will be closely monitored, as they strive to regain their rhythm after a considerable hiatus from competitive cricket.
Agarkar confirmed Iyer's complete fitness, citing his participation in three 50-over matches at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). Rahul, on the other hand, has a niggle and could miss the first few games of the Asia Cup.
The triumphant comebacks of Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna have injected a surge of confidence in the Indian team ahead of crucial white-ball tournaments. Presently, the management's primary focus is ensuring the fitness levels of the core squad ahead of a few crucial months ahead.
