Last Update on: August 21st, 2023 at 11:08 am
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Team India squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 is set to be announced on Monday (August 21). The continental championships are scheduled to begin in less than two weeks’ time. Asia Cup 2023 will get underway on August 30 with a match between hosts Pakistan and tournament debutants Nepal.
A total of six teams are participating in the event. Team India are in Group A with Pakistan and Nepal. And while Pakistan and Nepal have already announced their squads, India have not. One of the main reasons behind the delay is to give the injured players some time to prove their fitness. One of those players is wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul, a vital part of India’s limited-overs team.
KL Rahul has been sidelined since injuring his thigh during the game between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 1 in IPL 2023. He had to undergo surgery in the UK before going to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru for rehabilitation.
Recently, KL Rahul has seen batting as well as wicketkeeping in the nets. He also took part in a practice match at the NCA. But surprisingly, the NCA officials have not given him the green light yet. As a result, there is little clarity over his availability as of now.
KL Rahul likely to miss Asia Cup 2023:
While KL Rahul has started batting and wicketkeeping in the nets, he is reportedly set to miss the forthcoming edition of the Asia Cup. According to a report in the Indian Express, he as well as Shreyas Iyer are unlikely to be selected for the tournament. Just like KL Rahul, Iyer is also at the NCA. Iyer had to undergo surgery on his back in April this year after suffering an injury during the Ahmedabad Test against Australia in March.
He too has started batting in the nets but is unlikely to get the nod for Asia Cup 2023. The report stated that the selectors are not confident about their match fitness and are not willing to risk further injuries to the star batsmen. Consequently, they don’t want to rush KL Rahul and Iyer directly in high-level cricket like the Asia Cup without any preparatory games.