Kohli-led India leave for Bangladesh with eye on Asia Cup title

The Indian cricket team, led by Virat Kohli, departed from Mumbai on Sunday for the Asia Cup competition to be played in Bangladesh starting on February 25.

Regular skipper Mahendra  Singh Dhoni has been ruled out of the tournament after the wicketkeeper-batsman sustained a Grade I left side-strain injury during the course of the second Test against New Zealand earlier this month.

India, who were beaten in Asia Cup by Bangladesh and progressed to the final in 2012, will look to extract revenge and win their 6th title when they begin their challenge in a round robin match against the hosts on February 26.

The other round robin fixtures for India are scheduled on February 28 (v Sri Lanka), March 2 (v defending champions Pakistan) and March 5 (v Afghanistan).

The final of the tournament is scheduled on March 8.

India had won the Asia Cup in 2010 in Sri Lanka.

India squad: Virat Kohli  (Capt.), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ambati Rayudu, Ajinkya Rahane, Dinesh Karthik, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Varun Aaron, Stuart Binny, Amit Mishra and Ishwar Pandey.

Image: Virat Kohli chats with Ajinkya Rahane

Photograph: Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images