Indian selectors choose KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Jasprit Bumrah, and Prasidh Krishna among the 17 players for the Asia Cup. In addition to these four players who are returning from lengthy injury layoffs, the young left-hander Tilak Verma has been recruited to the group, which is seen as the core for the World Cup to be played in October-November. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar made it clear that the World Cup team will be picked from this lot.
However, regardless of having all the resources at its disposal, the team still looks far from being settled, the first rider being Rahul being picked without being fully fit. “It is not the original injury (hamstring injury). That is why Sanju (Samson) is travelling (to Sri Lanka). We are expecting Rahul to be fit if not at the start of the Asia cup then may be by the second or the third game. Shreyas is fully fit,” Agarkar said in his first media briefing while refusing to divulge what the niggle is. “The BCCI will update you on that,” was all Agarkar said.
The apprehension around the returning players was obvious in Rohit’s response: “I will only be happy if on match day the team sheet says all are fit and available. Injuries are not just happening in India but around the world. When you have injuries you can’t really do too much and hope other guys can fit in the role,” Rohit said.
Squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (VC), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
Traveling stand-by player: Sanju Samson