'Adds To Striking Force': Saba Karim On Prasidh Krishna's Inclusion In India Squad For Asia Cup 2023

Former wicketkeeper Saba Karim has backed the inclusion of right-arm bowler Prasidh Krishna in the Indian squad for the Asia Cup 2023. In an interview with Jio Cinema, Saba Karim said, “With Prasidh Krishna getting fit, it really opens up several possibilities for Rohit Sharma but also really adds to the striking force of India’s pace bowling contingent."

The former selector explained how Rohit now has a very strong bowling attack. He added that if India wanted to go with “three genuine quicks", they have Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj. “In case Siraj is not bowling well, you can bring in Prasidh Krishna," he added.

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Saba Karim further talked about how Prasidh Krishna’s recovery makes India’s bowling attack a formidable one. The former wicket-keeper said that Mohammad Shami and Jasprit Bumrah make up much of the attacking front while Mohammad Siraj and Krishna serve as reliable reinforcements.

“You have Mohammed Shami… you have Jasprit Bumrah… Plus, in backup, if you have someone like Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, it just goes to show that this is a complete kind of pace bowling attack," Saba said.

According to him, India now has the optimal seam bowler in the form of Shami. Next, Bumrah adds loads of variations to the attack. Krishna brings in the “bounce" for the squad, while Siraj adds the strengths of both swing and seam bowling.

Prasidh Krishna was on the sidelines for a while after a lower-back injury. The bowler made a full recovery and returned to international action in the T20I series between India and Ireland. In the three-match series, Krishna was clinical as he took four wickets.

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He dismissed Harry Tector and George Dockrell in the first T20I game at the Village. He followed up with another brilliant performance in the next game, sending back Paul Stirling and Lorcan Tucker on ducks. India won the series 2-0 establishing some good momentum ahead of the Asia Cup campaign.

Speaking of the Asia Cup, India will be playing their first game against Pakistan on September 2. The tournament is being co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The final has been scheduled for September 17 in Colombo. The Men in Blue last won the tournament in 2018. They are also hosting the upcoming ICC Men’s World Cup tournament later this year.