Rohit Sharma & Co. depart for Asia Cup 2018

A Rohit Sharma-led nine-member Indian team left for Dubai on Thursday afternoon to defend the Asia Cup title they had won two years ago.

Rohit, who came to the airport accompanied by wife Ritika, will be leading the Indian team in absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli, who has been rested keeping in mind his heavy workload.

Eight other players MS Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and rookie left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed departed for Dubai on Thursday.

The remaining members of the squad, who competed in the gruelling Test series in England, will join the rest of the team on September 16 after a two-day break.