Asia Cup 2023: Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav Should Replace KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer If They Are Unfit - Saba Karim

Former India National Cricket Team wicketkeeper-batter Saba Karim has named ideal replacements for Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul in the Indian playing XI if they get ruled out of the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 and ICC World Cup 2023.

KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer were recently seen batting together in a practice game at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, days ahead of the Indian team selection for the Asia Cup.

Iyer has been out of action since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 while Rahul has been missing out on action since the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 due to their respective injuries.

Although both Iyer and Rahul have started batting practice, their selection can’t be guaranteed as NCA also checks other things before declaring players match-fit. In the case of Rahul, he should be fit to keep wickets for 50 overs and Iyer needs to field for the entire duration of a match to get the fit certificate.

Meanwhile, Saba Karim feels that Ishan Kishan should ideally replace KL Rahul in the Indian team as he keeps wickets and is flexible.

“The selectors should take KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer into consideration — they can be included in the team if they are fit. But the wait has not ended, the team will be announced on the 20th from what I know, they have the time until then,” Karim told the media during a chat organized by Jio Cinema

“But if they are not fit, Ishan Kishan is a good option against Rahul since he can bat as an opener and in the middle-order,” he added.

I will still back Suryakumar Yadav – Saba Karim

Speaking about Iyer’s replacement, Saba Karim said that there are three players in contention for the spot including Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, and Sanju Samson, but he will back the No.1 ranked T20I batter to do the job for the team.

“If Shreyas Iyer is not fit, you have 2-3 options to pick from, in Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, and Suryakumar Yadav. But for me, Suryakumar has gained experience of playing one-day cricket both domestically and internationally. I will still back Suryakumar Yadav,” Karim said.

Jasprit Bumrah will be seen playing competitive cricket for the first time on Friday, August 18, since September 2022. The premier pacer had suffered a severe back injury during his last series for India and since then he has been out of action. Talking about Bumrah, Saba Karim said:

“The team management and selectors would be more concerned about Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness levels and match fitness.

“This (series) is a T20 format and it (captaincy) won’t add more burden on him. It will only help him to understand his body better. They (India) are playing three T20 games, he can play at different phases,” he added.