The BCCI has announced the India squad for the upcoming IND vs IRE series. While ace speedster Jasprit Bumrah ha returned to the team and will captain the side, the likes of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul will miss the series. With the duo not being selected, it can be well assumed that both the middle-order batter are not yet fit enough to play cricket.
After the conclusion of India vs West Indies series, Jasprit Bumrah-led Men in Blue will travel to Ireland to play a 3-match T20 series. This tournament will help the selectors get an idea about the youngsters, which will help them in forming the squad for the upcoming Asia Cup and ICC World Cup.
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Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul Missing from IND vs IRE
It is no surprise that Rahul Dravid and Co were expecting the likes of the duo to return for the IND vs IRE series. Both Rahul and Iyer are at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) where they have resumed batting practice and are trying to achieve the fitness required to play international games.
However, the duo are most likely to be back for the Asia Cup. KL Rahul is the designated wicketkeeper for India in ODIs and he will retain his spot behind the stumps. On the other hand, Shreyas Iyer too will look to secure his spot in the team in Asia Cup and thereby prove his point to secure his spot for the World Cup.
It is certainly good news that the key injured players for India are recovering just in time ahead of the big event. Jasprit Bumrah is already back into the squad and will lead the side. Both KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are inching closer to achieving 100% match fitness. Though they are set to miss the Ireland series, the duo are highly likely to be avaiable for the Asia Cup.
KL Rahul took a break from NCA while Shreyas Iyer continues his rehab in Bengaluru. KL Rahul had a hamstring injury during IPL 2023 for which he had to undergo a surgery. Iyer on the other hand, had a back stress fracture for which he too had to go under the knife.
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- KL Rahul: He has made good progress since the surgery. Having spent over a month at the NCA, he took a break from his routine to have some fun where he went kayaking and paintball with his friends. He is expected to back for the Asia Cup.
- Shreyas Iyer: Despite initial hiccups, Iyer is back on track. He begun his batting practice a few weeks ago but is still not a 100% match fit. The middle order batter is also highly set to be available for the Asia Cup.
Team – Jasprit Bumrah (Capt), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shivam Dube, W Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan.
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