NEW DELHI: Having won record eight Asia Cup titles (seven in ODIs and once in T20Is), the Indian team is being touted as the clear cut favourites. Their squad comprises players of all types, providing them with depth and variety. Let's take a look at what they offer and how they are shaping up for the tournament:

Openers:

Abhishek Sharma - Abhishek has had a dream debut for India. With already 2 centuries to his name in just 16 innings, Sharma has taken the world of international T20 cricket by storm. To add cherry on the top, he has a strike rate of staggering 193.84. However there are a few factors which could come into play for him. Firstly he has hardly played any competitive cricket post IPL, wherein his form was a bit shaky. Also the fact that he doesn't have much experience of playing in Dubai, which will present him with a new challenge specially in regards to his spin playing abilities. However India will count on the number 1 ranked batter in T20Is to come up good during the tournament, and give them firing starts throughout the tournament.

Shubham Gill - India's designated Vice Captain for the tournament, Gill has a lot at stake in the Asia Cup. He hasn't been around the Indian T20 squad for the past 12 months, and eyebrows were raised with his selection. Now he has a lot to prove and with him being seen as the next all format captain for India, Gill will have to deliver. He will look to continue his stupendous form that he was in when he toured England. Though he has struggled against spinners in T20IS, the sample size is very small to get to a conclusion. The Indian team will rely on him to not only give him a good start, but with his ability to build innings he will have to play a crucial role in middle order as well.

Sanju Samson - Ever since Sanju Samson got the opening slot in T20Is, his performances have been a revelation. With terms like talent and potential always being thrown around regarding his batting capabilities, the world finally got to see all of this during the last season of international cricket. Sanju went on to score 3 centuries, showing great consistency and maturity. However there are now doubts about him opening the innings for India in Asia Cup with the comeback of Gill who is also the vice captain of the side. Even if Sanju slots in at number 3, expect him to come all guns blazing. However the inexperience of playing at Dubai in international cricket and in the multinational tournaments might come into play.

Middle Order:

Suryakumar Yadav - The Indian Captain will look to continue his golden touch, which he showed throughout the IPL. One of the finest T20 batters of this era, Surya will have to lead this relatively inexperienced batting lineup, especially with the bat. Coming fresh after surgery, it will be a challenge for him, with no match practice. He had a little slump in T20Is during the last season but with a tweaked technique, he won the MVP award during the IPL. Possessing the ability to dominate both pace and spin bowling equally, the Indian team will need Surya to be at his best both with bat and technical acumen throughout the tournament.

Tilak Varma - In a short international career yet, Tilak has proved to be a match winner for India from the word go. Every time he has walked out in the international T20s, he has made a mark for himself. Sitting at the second position in T20Is ranking, he has been consistently scoring runs for India and has won difficult matches for the team. The top order is crowded, which might lead to him playing a bit lower down the order, but with his spin playing abilities and power hitting skills, he can bat at number 5. He can also come in handy with the ball, if the conditions favour spinners. However, like many, his inexperience with playing in Dubai might prove to be a key factor.

Jitesh Sharma - The only player who made a comeback into the Indian squad after some very good performances during the IPL is Jitesh. During the IPL one could see how hard he had worked on things like scoring all around the ground. He played some unbelievable knocks, and helped RCB finish in the top 2, with a very special innings against LSG while leading the side. All these efforts lead to his selection into the Indian squad, and if India looks to open with Gill and play Tilak at 3, Jitesh will become the front runner to feature in the playing XI. His role is very clear, that of a finisher and the team will rely on him for some clinical death overs batting. Jitesh is however very new and will have the challenge to perform in new circumstances and conditions during the tournament.

Rinku Singh - Rinku, as the Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar said in the PC is a backup batter in the squad. However whenever needed he can come and play a key role in the middle order. His form lately has been questionable, with performances drying up in T20Is and the IPL, but the team has shown great faith in him to come good. The team would love to see Rinku get back to his best and start winning matches from difficult situations which he has already shown during his short career.

All Rounders :

Hardik Pandya - The MVP of the Indian team in white ball cricket, Hardik is the X factor for this Indian team. A match winner in every right, Pandya can change the course of a match with both ball and bat in a match. His biggest USP is coming up well in crunch situations, especially during the big games. Coming after back to back ICC trophy victories, he is in his prime years willing to win many more trophies. The team will expect him to finish matches and provide crucial breakthroughs during the middle overs. The only thing which goes against him is lack of match practice, as he hasn't played any competitive cricket after the IPL.

Axar Patel - Axar has become a vital cog of the current Indian white ball set-up with consistent performances with his most important contribution coming during the T20 WC finals. Equally capable of delivering with both bat and ball, he provides the right equilibrium for conditions like that of UAE. He can play the role of a floater, and fit in the batting order as per the needs of the team. With his ability to stabilize the innings during the middle overs, and also pack a punch during the fag end, Axar is an invaluable asset. With the ball, in conditions conducive for spinners, he has the knack of picking up wickets in the middle overs, and more importantly contain runs when needed. Though he hasn't played for sometime, expect Axar to come good with his all-round abilities whenever needed.

Shivam Dube - Having won the world cup last year, Dube has become a part of India's T20 set-up in recent years. His biggest plus point is his ability to punish spinners at will in the middle order. There is no guarantee of him being a part of the playing XI throughout, but his role is very clear, in the middle overs where a few Indian batters struggle to take on the spinners, Dube is trusted to do that job and neutralize pressure. However, his role with the ball is always under scanners, but his off cutters might come in handy in the Dubai pitches. The big factor that team management will keep in mind is, his form in the IPL wasn't great and the ability to score big against pacers will also be key.

Spinners:

Kuldeep Yadav - Though Kuldeep Yadav has not played T20Is for a long time, there is no doubt about the class he possesses. Despite making his debut more than 8 years ago, few batters have been able to pick him. In T20Is there is no answer to him, as he averages less than 15 in this format while going at just barely 6.77 runs per over. He was brilliant throughout the last IPL as he was amongst the wickets, and more importantly his economy was very low. With experience on his side, and having recently won the Champions trophy in Dubai with a wonderful spell in the finals he would be rearing to give his all. The only thing which might go against him is the lack of wickets, as he didn't play in the England tour and couldn't get a wicket in the sole Duleep trophy game that he played.

Varun Chakaravarthy - India's trump card in the truest sense, Varun is the mystery spinner which India was looking for a long time. With plenty of variations up his sleeve, Chakravarthy is someone who can give India an edge over any other nation, especially in conditions like that of Dubai. During the Champions trophy, he was a surprise inclusion in the ODI squad and he was the pick of the Indian bowling lineup, which eventually helped India lift the trophy. The conditions will favour his bowling type, and Varun will look to extend his golden run in international cricket and help India seal the deal.

Pacers:

Jasprit Bumrah - One of the greatest ever fast bowlers to grace the game, Jassi as he is fondly called will look to continue what he does. At his best, he is possibly the greatest ever to play this format and he doesn't need to change much coming into this tournament. He has plenty of weapons in his armoury which mostly includes deadly yorkers and cutters of different kinds. Bumrah also has plenty of experience, playing in Dubai and such conditions. He will be the leader of the Indian bowling attack, and the team will rely on him to provide a flurry of wickets. There is no doubt about his skills, but fitness is a concern and team management will have to make sure that he is used wisely in the tournament.

Arshdeep Singh - At the age of just 26, Arshdeep is India's leading wicket taker in T20Is history. He made his debut 3 years back, and within a span of only a few years Arshdeep has picked wickets at will. In the absence of Bumrah in this format he was the team's go-to bowler. Already a T20 World Cup winner, Arshdeep has proven that India can rely on him during crunch situations as was the case during last World Cup's final. He swings the ball upfront and also has a good yorker to bowl towards the end, making him a perfect package for the shorter format. Lack of match practice in white ball might be a factor, but playing consistent cricket should compensate for that.

Harshit Rana - With only 1 T20I to his name, Rana is the most inexperienced player in this Indian team. However he has shown glimpses of a good pace bowler in making. When given an opportunity in ODI cricket, during the Champions trophy he was right on money. His IPL numbers this year were not great, but the management seems to have a lot of faith in his abilities. Seniors like Bumrah and Arshdeep could help him become better at the shortest format. Though he will mostly act as a back-up to both his senior pros, he would like to make the most of it when given an opportunity. His bowling form is definitely a concern and there would be no better time than the Asia Cup to get back into form.