Kl Rahul : This means that Rahul will only be available from the Super 4 stage if India make it past it. Ishan Kishan will play as wicket keeper against Pakistan and Nepal.
India wicketkeeper KL Rahul will not be available for the first two matches of the Asia Cup 2023, India head coach Rahul Dravid said on Tuesday. India will begin their campaign against Pakistan on 2nd. In September Their next group game will be against Nepal on the 4th. In September.
KL Rahul is progressing very well but will not be available for India’s first two matches – against Pakistan and Nepal – Asia Cup coach Rahul Dravid, BCCI tweeted quoting coach Dravid.
Dravid made the comments after the final day of India’s training camp at Alur in Bengaluru. “The NCA will look after him for the next few days while we’re on the road. We’ll reassess on September 4 and take it from there. But the signs are good. He will not be available for the first two games,” added Dravid.
This means that Rahul will only be available from the Super 4 stage if India qualify. Ishan Kishan will play as wicket keeper against Pakistan and Nepal.
Rahul’s availability was always in doubt in the first couple of games. BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar confirmed that the right-hander, who returned to the Indian side after a long injury layoff, had developed a “headache” unrelated to the original horn injury that had kept him out for months.
Although Rahul attended a six-day fitness and medical camp in Alur along with other Asia Cup players, he failed the yo-yo fitness test.
A right thigh injury in an IPL league game kept Rahul out of action for some time. He underwent surgery in London and then spent long hours at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru along with two other great players, Shreyas Iyer and Jasprit Bumrah.
While Bumrah and Iyer returned to full fitness – the former even led India in the three-match T20I series against Ireland – Rahul unfortunately suffered another injury.
However, the Indian team management is confident of getting Rahul’s services back from the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup.
Who will keep the wickets instead of KL Rahul?
Rahul’s absence from the first two matches creates an interesting selection headache for captain Rohit Sharma and coach Dravid. Rahul’s availability is extremely important for India’s balance. Not only does he hold the bat, but he also holds the bats in the important No. 5 spot.
Sanju Samson will ride as a prop but Kishan is likely to take the gloves in the XI. In that case, it will be interesting to see where the left hits. A direct switch between him and Rahul in the middle order will solve all of India’s problems and also give them a chance to use the left-hander to break the pattern.
But Kishan is someone who is an indiscriminate opener and has rarely succeeded when asked to drop the order. What other options are there for India?
If they choose to open with Kishan and Rohit Sharma, it means Shubman Gill will have to slide down. And maybe even Virat Kohli. Former head coach Ravi Shastri had already expressed the idea of asking Kohli to hit four. But that would mean fewer deals for the world No.3. It would also jeopardise India’s original batting order of Kohli at three and Iyer at four.
