Former India head coach Ravi Shastri expressed reservations about including K L Rahul in the playing eleven for the Asia Cup, citing concerns about the player’s readiness after a nearly four-month hiatus from competitive cricket due to injury. Both Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, who are recuperating at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, are anticipated to regain full fitness in time for the Asia Cup, set to commence on August 30.
Shastri voiced his apprehensions in a panel discussion on Star Sports, asserting, “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. 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,” referring to Rahul’s situation.
He also cautioned against hastily rushing players back from injuries, exemplifying with Jasprit Bumrah’s extended period on the sidelines due to such attempts.
Shastri proposed that instead of Rahul, the middle order could see the emergence of rookie batter Tilak Varma. His preference for three left-handers within the top-seven batsmen includes the likes of Ravindra Jadeja. He remarked, “There are three other positions where I think two left-handers have to come in. Now, this is where the selectors’ role comes in because they are watching. They know who’s the guy who’s hot. If Tilak Varma is hot, bring him in. If you think (Yashasvi) Jaiswal is hot, bring him in. I am very impressed with Tilak and if I want a left-hander, I would look in that direction. The way he has got his runs over the last three months, whether in the IPL or India, he has ticked all the boxes.”
Shastri also lent his support to Ishan Kishan’s potential contribution, noting, “Including Jaddu (Jadeja), there should be three left-handers in the top seven. Ishan Kishan has been keeping for the last 15 months. Why go somewhere else? If you have persisted with Ishan Kishan for the last six to eight months, and he’s going to keep wickets, he comes in, in any case. But, get two left-handers.”
Reinforcing his viewpoint, Shastri referenced the 2019 World Cup semifinal loss to New Zealand, emphasizing the significance of a left-hander at the top of the order to counter the movement of the ball. He recalled, “People don’t give credit what Shikhar Dhawan deserves. That guy was an amazing player. When we lost that World Cup semifinal, he was missed. A left-hander at the top of the order, as opposed to three right-handers, makes a huge difference when the ball is swinging away (swinging in for the right handers).”
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