Former India Cricket Team head coach Ravi Shastri believes an Asia Cup 2023 return for KL Rahul would be ‘too much’. Rahul has been out of action for four months and underwent surgery. The former vice-captain is rehabilitating at the NCA, undergoing match simulation and hoping to be ready for the Asia Cup and the World Cup 2023.
”When you are talking of a player who has not played and is recovering from injury. To think of him in the playing eleven of Asia Cup, you are asking little too much of the player himself,” Ravi Shastri told Star Sports.
Rahul is India’s first-choice wicketkeeper for the World Cup in 2023. Over the past couple of years, he has established himself as a crisis man in the middle order. With Rishabh Pant also out with injury, the 31-year-old’s fitness is priority.
”And then you are talking keeping when the guy has come from a knee injury, the range of movement, things like (that). That is a no, no straight,” Shastri told Star Sports in a panel discussion referring to Rahul.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2023 squad by Aug 20, Rahul & Iyer to return, Tilak Varma wildcard?
Shasti also warned against rushing back players from injuries. The BCCI had rushed Bumrah back into action, which forced him out of action for almost a year.
”You can’t rush players back from injuries. You did that with Jasprit Bumrah, not once, twice but thrice and he has been out for 14 months now.” In place of Rahul, Shastri would like to see rookie batter Tilak Varma in the middle order. He wants to see three left-handers in the top-seven, including Ravindra Jadeja.
While both KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are not match fit, they were 80% fit. With 18 days still to go for the Asia Cup 2023, they are likely to be 100% fit by then. But before squad selection, both will appear for a fitness test on Aug 18, Friday. The fitness assessment will give the selectors a clear picture of where the duo stands.
“We are waiting for a couple of injury updates. KL and Shreyas are 80% fit but aren’t yet match-fit. Once we have more clarity, the squad will be announced,” a senior BCCI official told InsideSport earlier this week.
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