Asian Games 2023: Rohit Sharma Virat Kohli Hardik Pandya will not play

The Asian Games 2023 is all set to take place in Hangzhou in September and October. The apex council of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has approved the participation of India’s men’s and women’s teams for the Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou in September-October. Asian Games 2023: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya will not play.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday said that no ICC World Cup-bound cricketers will be considered for selection in the men’s team for Asian Games 2023. The cricket governing body has said it will send a second team of men as the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup is scheduled to start on October 5.

This means that India’s top batting order, Captain Rohit Sharma, Vice-captain Hardik Pandya, star batter Virat Kohli, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, keeper-batter KL Rahul, and pacers Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj, will not participate in the Asian Games, which is scheduled to take place in Hangzhou, Chinna in September-October.

A full-strength India Women’s Cricket Team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, will be in Hangzhou Asiad. Considering the overlap of schedule of the Asian Games with ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, BCCI will select from the players not participating in the World Cup to play in the Asian Games,” BCCI said in a release.

“BCCI will send both men’s and women’s teams to the Asian Games scheduled to be held in September 2023 at Hangzhou, China. However, considering the overlap of schedule of the Asian Games with ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, BCCI will select from the players not participating in the World Cup to play in the Asian Games,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said after the 19th Apex Council meeting on Friday.

The Asian Games is set to begin on September 23 and will go on till October 8. The ICC World Cup will take place in India from October 5. India play their first match against Australia on October 8. Played in the T20 format, Asian Games Cricket has been accorded international status by the apex cricketing body, the International Council of Cricket (ICC).

Also Read: World Cup 2023: 2 new team enter, Team India complete schedule