Former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth is unimpressed with the decision of the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee to pick KL Rahul for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023, even though Rahul is expected to miss the start of the tournament due to a “niggle” he’d picked up while training at the NCA.
During his recovery from a thigh injury at the NCA, KL Rahul sustained a minor niggle which will keep him out from the September 2nd match against Pakistan, also he could miss the next game against Nepal. Ajit Agarkar, though, said that he will be available for the Super 4 round of the Asia Cup.
Ishan Kishan is in the squad as the backup wicket-keeper. India also named Sanju Samson as the traveling reserve after the selection committee had learned of KL Rahul’s niggle.
If a player is not fit, don’t select him: Srikkanth on KL Rahul’s selection
Kris Srikkanth said in stern terms that KL Rahul shouldn’t have been selected in the first place in the squad and should not have been sent to Sri Lanka for the Asia Cup if the selectors had already learned that he’s carrying a niggle.
“It’s being said that KL Rahul has a niggle. If you have a niggle, don’t pick him in the squad. If a player is not fit during selection, you shouldn’t pick him. That was our policy,” Kris Srikkanth said in a video on his YouTube channel.
“On the day of selection, if a player is not fit, don’t select him. If you want to pick him for the World Cup, select him for the World Cup. That’s a different issue. Now they are saying that he might play after a couple of matches and that’s why we have picked Sanju Samson as a travelling reserve. What’s all this,” Srikkanth added.
India once again won’t be able to field their strongest, first-choice XI against Pakistan as KL Rahul won’t be in it. For a long time, because of injuries and rest, India have not been able to field their strongest XI.
Making their returns to the ODI squad in the Asia Cup are KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Jasprit Bumrah, and Prasidh Krishna. Suryakumar Yadav was retained and Tilak Varma received his maiden ODI call-up – both players picked over Sanju Samson.
India Asia Cup 2023 squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vc), Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Shami, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma
