Samson to Pandya, India’s standout performers before Asia Cup kick-off

India appear to have built a formidable T20I unit for the upcoming Asia Cup combining an explosive top order a dependable middleorder core and versatile allrounders The bowling attack bolstered by the return of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah looks primed to dominate on the continental stageIndiarsquos campaign begin on September 10 against the UAE before the muchawaited showdown with archrivals Pakistan on September 14 In the leadup to the tournament several players have emerged as key performers following Indiarsquos T20 World Cup winAbhishek Sharma The Xfactor at the topOne of the brightest sparks in Indiarsquos recent T20I setup Abhishek Sharma brings an audacious brand of cricket to the top order While his aggressive riskladen approach has led to occasional inconsistency the rewards have been immense In just 17 T20Is Abhishek has piled up 535 runs at an average of 3343 with a staggering strike rate of 19384 He already has two centuries and two fifties to his name including a highest score of 135 His standout series came against England where he hammered 279 runs in five matches at a strike rate exceeding 219 along with contributing with the ball as a handy spin optionSanju Samson Reinvented as openerAfter years of being shuffled in the batting order Sanju Samson has found a new identity as an opener In 17 matches since taking the new role Samson has amassed 487 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 17147 with three centuries and a fifty Though he had a lean patch against England scoring just 51 runs in five innings he bounced back with a stellar run in the Kerala Cricket League where he scored 368 runs in five matches including 30 sixes at a strike rate of 18680Tilak Varma The Mr Reliable at No 3Tilak Varma has cemented his place at No 3 with a blend of composure and aggression In nine T20Is since his return he has scored 413 runs at an average of 8260 registering two centuries including a top score of 120 Both tons came on challenging away tours in South AfricaHardik Pandya Dual threat in peak formIndiarsquos premier allrounder Hardik Pandya has hit form at the right time With 320 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 14545 and 10 wickets with the ball Pandya brings balance and firepower to the lineup His best bowling figures stand at 223Varun Chakravarthy Redemption through spinBack in Indiarsquos T20I plans Varun Chakravarthy has rediscovered his rhythm In 12 matches the mystery spinner has claimed 31 wickets at a brilliant average of 1125 including two fivewicket hauls with best figures of 517Arshdeep Singh Leftarm precisionArshdeep Singh continues to impress with his disciplined bowling In 11 matches he has taken 20 wickets at an average of 1515 with a best of 314 and an economy rate of 787Though Ravi Bishnoi misses out on the Asia Cup squad his contributions postT20 World Cup 25 wickets in 18 matches were vital in Indiarsquos rise