Table of Contents
- Unraveling the backstory of Iyer and Rahul’s injury struggles
- Agarkar shares information on Iyer and Rahul
The BCCI‘s selection committee, led by Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, recently announced the Indian squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, which is scheduled to commence on August 30. This squad selection has garnered attention and raised concerns due to the inclusion of several players who have had limited or no recent playing time, primarily due to injuries.
Two prominent names in the squad are star batters KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, both of whom had been sidelined due to injuries. Additionally, fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna, who were in the process of recovering from their respective injuries, also found a place in the squad.
The decision to include Rahul and Iyer, who are returning to the side without any match practice, has sparked debate among cricket enthusiasts. Both players have been out of action for an extended period, raising questions about their match fitness and form.
Unraveling the backstory of Iyer and Rahul’s injury struggles
Iyer hasn’t played a competitive match since suffering a back injury during the Ahmedabad Test against Australia in March. This injury was serious enough to require back surgery in April. While the 28-year-old has been seen practicing in the nets, his match readiness remains uncertain.
Rahul, too, has been out of action since May. He sustained a thigh injury while fielding during an Indian Premier league (IPL) 2023 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The 31-year-old also had to undergo surgery on his thigh. Like Iyer, Rahul has been seen practicing, but he hasn’t played any competitive matches since his recovery.
Agarkar shares information on Iyer and Rahul
Agarkar, the Chairman of selectors, all but confirmed that Rahul is unlikely to participate in the Asia Cup opener against Pakistan on September 2 due to a fresh niggle. However, he did not disclose the specific nature of the Karnataka stalwart’s new injury. Nevertheless, Agarkar did clarify that this new injury is unrelated to Rahul’s previous calf injury that kept him out of action during the middle of the IPL earlier this year.
“Both of them are coming back from long-term injuries. Shreyas Iyer is completely fit. In the last few days, KL Rahul had a niggle that is unrelated to his original injury. That’s why Sanju Samson is travelling. We are all expecting him to be fit, if not at the start of the Asia Cup maybe by the second or third game. He is well on track. Shreyas has been passed fit, which is good news.We don’t pick the World Cup team until September 5 so it gives us more time,” Agarkar said.
Madan Lal offers strong opinion on Asia Cup 2023 squad selections
Menawhile, former India cricketer and World Cup winner Madan Lal expressed his disappointment with these selections, particularly the lack of clarity regarding Rahul’s new injury. He believes that Agarkar should have provided more information about the nature and extent of Rahul’s injury to alleviate concerns among fans.
“I don’t think the selectors and team management are still sure whether KL Rahul is fit or not. What injury or niggle? They should have specified that. They have kept Shreyas Iyer. There’s still no surety about his fitness. They haven’t played any competitive cricket. They should have been picked after they had proved their match fitness. Batting in the nets and batting in the middle are two different things,” Madan Lal said to Aaj Tak.
