KL Rahul suffers fresh niggle while Shreyas Iyer is fully fit; both picked in India's Asia Cup 2023 squad

While Shreyas Iyer is fully fit, KL Rahul has suffered a fresh niggle in the build-up to Asia Cup 2023, informed new chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar. India on Monday announced an 18-member squad for the continental event starting August 30.

Vital cogs in India's middle order, Shreyas and Rahul have been undergoing rehab at NCA after having back and thigh surgeries, respectively. The wicketkeeper-batter, however, developed a separate niggle after completely recovering from his thigh injury.

“Both had long-term serious injuries. Shreyas has been declared completely fit. But Rahul is yet to attain full fitness – not his original injury, but there is a niggle that he has. That’s why Sanju is travelling at the moment. But we are all expecting him to be fit, if not at the start of the Asia Cup, maybe the second or third game. But he’s well on track. And Shreyas has been passed fit which is good news. And we don’t have to pick the World Cup squad until September 5, so that gives us more time,” Agarkar told reporters in New Delhi.

It wasn’t mentioned which part of his body KL Rahul suffered the niggle. The 31-year-old’s stay at NCA is likely to get extended until he gets the fitness certificate to fly out to Sri Lanka. Sanju Samson will travel with the Indian contingent as a deputy keeper to Ishan Kishan.

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"All seven-eight numbers are open to anyone" - Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma scored a hundred and two fifties in the two-Test series vs West Indies

India’s middle order in the 2019 World Cup was threadbare, filled in by rotation of fringe players. Since then, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul – save their time on the sidelines – have made the Nos. 4 and 5 spots their own.

However, if Rahul fails to recover in time for India’s Asia Cup opener against Pakistan on September 2, Rahul Dravid and Co. would again have to dip their hands in the reserves. Ishan Kishan, who was in red-hot form in the West Indies is the most suitable replacement. Suryakumar Yadav and new sensation Tilak Varma provide the other options.

Skipper Rohit Sharma, though, talked down the hullabaloo around the middle-order slots. He stated that players’ batting orders aren’t changed overnight, while reiterating that everyone has been prepared over the years to be flexible and bat anywhere in the line-up.

“One thing I want in this team, is to make sure that everyone is okay to bat anywhere. That is one thing we need to keep in mind. It’s very critical moving forward as Team India – not just in this format, but any format. Because cricket is moving in a different direction, you need flexibility and guys who can step up at any position. No one should be in the team knowing they are good at a particular position.

“We want guys to be able to bat anywhere and that is the message that has been conveyed to every individual – not now but it’s been happening for the last four years…You don’t want to be handicapped or stuck with one player batting in one position only. Of course, having said that, you want to get the best out of players in certain positions. But all seven-eight numbers are open to anyone,” Rohit, who skipped the T20I series against the West Indies and Ireland, elaborated.

Team India squad for Asia Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson (travelling reserve)

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