KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer to miss Asia Cup, meaning their ODI World Cup participation remains uncertain
Both KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are at the NCA, recovering from injuries.
KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer (Image via News18)
It is World Cup year and Team India still don’t have its middle order sorted. While Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul were touted to take the No.4 and No.5 slots respectively, the two players have missed the majority of cricket this year due to injury. Both Rahul and Iyer are in rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. While they were expected to make a return with the Asia Cup at the most, it has been pushed further.
As per reports, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are not in the fray for the continental showpiece event. The two batters are reportedly not yet fully fit and hence the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) does not want to rush them.
Asia Cup is being seen as the best preparation ahead of the ODI World Cup and it was expected that India will play its World Cup-bound players at the tournament to prepare them for the mega event. However, now with Rahul and Iyer not available, India’s World Cup preparations are also in jeopardy.
KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer to return through the ODI series against Australia
Between Asia Cup and the World Cup, Team India are scheduled to play a three-match ODI series against Australia. As Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul will not take part in the Asia Cup, the two players will return through the ODI series.
“Despite both players sharing progress updates on their fitness on social media, insiders suggest that it’s premature to rush them into international action. However, they remain contenders for the ODI World Cup, later this year, if they make a complete recovery. In such a scenario, the three-ODI series against Australia in September might serve as their comeback matches,” claimed the Cricbuzz report.
The report then also claimed that Team India’s squad for the Asia Cup will feature almost the same faces with a few changes in the bowling lineup. Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, and Jasprit Bumrah are all set to find a place in the squad. Meanwhile, the batting lineup will have the same faces.
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Ritesh Pathak
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