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‘What injury? Selectors, captain still not sure?': World Cup winner blasts ‘unfit' players' Asia Cup selection
Former India all-rounder Madan Lal was not impressed by the selection gamble of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul for Asia Cup 2023.
There is no doubt about the fact that India have taken a gamble by selecting Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul in their Asia Cup 2023 squad without testing their fitness in a match situation. Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, in fact, all but confirmed that Rahul is unlikely to play the Asia Cup opener against Pakistan on September 2 due to a fresh niggle. Agarlar did not specify the injury Rahul has suffered but he did confirm that it was not his original calf injury that kept him away from action from mid IPL this year. India named Sanju Samson as a backup keeper for Rahul.
"Shreyas (Iyer) has been declared completely fit. Rahul has got a niggle. It's not his original injury but that's why Sanju has been picked as backup. We are all expecting him to be fit if not at the start of the Asia Cup then maybe the second or third game. A bit of a setback for Rahul but Shreyas has been declared fully fit, that's good news for us. They are two very important players for us. We still have time. We won't be announcing our World Cup squad before the deadline of September 5," said Agarkar.
Rahul underwent surgery on his right calf after hurting it during an IPL 2023 match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Lucknow. Iyer, on the other hand, was struggling with a reoccurring back injury that ruled him out of the entire IPL. The duo since then have spent long hours at the National Cricket Academy nets in Bengaluru and have also played a few match simulations before the selectors took a brave call of drafting them straight into the Asia Cup squad.
Former India all-rounder Madan Lal was not impressed by the selection gamble for a tournament like Asia Cup. The 1983 World Cup winner said Agarkar should have specified the new injury of Rahul.
"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," he told Aaj Tak.
Agarkar, however, sounded confident of Rahul's return to full fitness. "From what we have been told it should not be too bad (in Rahul’s case). We still have one month and a half before World Cup, hopefully, they (Iyer and Rahul) will get enough cricket before that," he said.
‘Chahal a match winner, really surprised not to seem him in Asia Cup squad’
Madan Lal also expressed his surprise at the non-selection of leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. India decided to go with only one wrist spinner in Kuldeep Yadav with left-arm spin-bowling all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel being the other spin options.
"The thing that has surprised me the most is Yuzvendra Chahal's absence. They said there should only be one wrist spinner. Chahal is a genuine wicket-taker and a match-winner. His absence was surprising. Yes, Axar Patel has done really well in the last two-three years. I'm not criticising him but you have Ravindra Jadeja to do what he does. You need wicket-takers if you want to win matches. Apart from Chahal's absence and the inclusion of unfit players, the squad was largely on the expected lines," he added.
