The ODI Asia Cup and the World Cup are just a few weeks away, but both are strong contenders and hosts of the mega event. Team India The betting line is not going to be final.
If Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul are not fit for the Asia Cup and World Cup, who will be the possible XI for the Indian team?
According to the Indian newspaper Hindustan Times, in such a situation Virat Kohli The batting order can be moved down to feed Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill at number three.
In such a situation, these questions are also being raised that whether Rahul and Iyer will be fit for Asia Cup 2023? If they are not, will they be considered worthy of the World Cup?
Indian media reports quoted BCCI sources as saying that both Rahul and Iyer’s participation in the Asia Cup is doubtful as their bodies are not fully recovered to take the load of 50-over cricket.
Videos of him practicing have also gone viral, following which fans are hopeful of his return to the Indian team after a long injury layoff.
Rahul has not played a match since suffering a thigh injury against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the current season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
He even had to undergo a surgery in London and a few weeks ago he started batting in the nets.
His biggest challenge will be to get enough strength in his legs to be able to field batting for 50 overs.
According to Hindustan Times, Rahul is important for Asia Cup and World Cup. Despite his recent poor performances in T20Is and Tests, he is India’s first-choice wicket-keeper batsman in ODIs.
He has been at his best batting at number five and if he is not fully fit, it will be a double blow for India as they will not only have to find a wicket-keeper but also a batsman who can play in the middle. Can bat effectively in the order.
Iyer’s case is a bit more troubling. Right-handed Iyer is recovering from a recurrence of a back injury that kept him out of the entire IPL this year.
If reports are to be believed, they are almost certain to be out of the Asia Cup.
If true, they will only have a three-match home series against Australia before the World Cup to prove their fitness.
Iyer has been a consistent number four batsman for India in ODIs for a long time. In his absence, India’s perennial problem of not having a solid number four will resurface.
If Iyer and Rahul are not fit, who are their backups? The Indian team management is hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.
If the three ODIs against the West Indies are anything to go by, captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid have already started looking for backups.
If Rahul and Iyer are not fit, Surya Kumar Yadav and Sanju Samson appear to be the obvious fortes, but they may not make direct inroads into the playing XI.
Suriya’s batting record in the top five in ODIs is not good. In fact, he could not get the desired success while batting at any number in this format.
But in the last two ODIs in the West Indies, he batted at number six, and he seems best suited for that number. In that case, he cannot be a substitute for Iyer or Rahul.
Samson has never performed well in any format but his ODI numbers are good. And they have always come in batting at number four or lower.
He could be the answer to Rahul but he has never batted in that position in recent times so Ishan Kishan is clearly the first choice in Rahul’s absence.
If Rahul and Iyer are not fit, Virat Kohli may be asked to drop his number three position.
In the worst-case scenario, if Rahul and Iyer are ruled ineligible for the Asia Cup, the team may look to completely change their batting order.
If Ishan Kishan plays, Kohli will have to leave this position as he has the numbers to do so.
This section contains related reference points (Related Nodes field).
If Kishan opens with skipper Rohit, where does Shibman Gill bat? This is a difficult question.
Shubman Gill has batted at number three or lower in domestic cricket and at the start of his career.
If he is given the role of batting at number three, it will mean that Virat Kohli will have to leave the number three position as well.
This will probably be the toughest decision in recent times as there is no better ODI cricketer in world cricket than Virat Kohli at number three right now.
In ODIs, he scored 10777 runs out of his 12898 runs while batting at number three. In this position, he scored 39 out of 46 ODI centuries.
After that, Hardik Pandya is at number five and Samson or Suriya will be at number six. If Rahul is fit, which seems more likely, Hardik could bat at number six.
What other options does India have?
If India don’t want to tamper with Virat Kohli’s batting position, they need to promote Hardik to number four.
He has batted in the top four in the IPL in recent times and also for the national team.
Rohit will then have to open with Shibman Gill as per the plan to play either Samson or Suriya at number six.
However, this will only be possible if Rahul is fit.
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#Mega #events #injured #players #options #India
**Interview with Cricket Analyst Sanjay Mehta on India’s Team Dynamics Ahead of Asia Cup 2023**
**Interviewer:** Welcome, Sanjay! With the Asia Cup final fast approaching and the World Cup just weeks away, there are concerns about player fitness, particularly regarding KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer. What’s your take on the situation?
**Sanjay Mehta:** Thanks for having me! Yes, the fitness concerns surrounding Rahul and Iyer are definitely a major talking point. Both players have been crucial for India, and if they aren’t fit, it puts the team in a tricky spot. Reports suggest that their participation in the Asia Cup is doubtful, which could have implications for the World Cup as well.
**Interviewer:** Indeed! If both players remain unfit, who do you think should take their places in the XI?
**Sanjay Mehta:** If we go by the current squad, Surya Kumar Yadav and Sanju Samson might be the go-to options. However, the challenge lies in their previous performances. While Surya hasn’t found his rhythm in ODIs yet, Samson could step in, especially if the team needs a solid number four, which is crucial in the absence of Iyer.
**Interviewer:** Speaking of batting order, with Rahul’s potential absence, could we see Virat Kohli shift down the order?
**Sanjay Mehta:** Absolutely! Kohli has been a backbone for the team, but if Iyer and Rahul are out, the team may need him to drop to a different position, possibly even down to number four to accommodate Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill in the top order. It would be a significant change but could also work, depending on how well the team adapts.
**Interviewer:** How vital is Rahul for India despite his recent form being under scrutiny?
**Sanjay Mehta:** Rahul is key, especially in ODIs, because of his experience and ability to stabilize the innings in crucial moments. Even though his recent performances may not be stellar, he’s our first-choice wicketkeeper and has shown he can perform in high-pressure situations. His fitness is certainly something to keep an eye on leading up to the World Cup.
**Interviewer:** Lastly, how do you see the team management preparing for these potential changes?
**Sanjay Mehta:** The management, led by Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid, will undoubtedly be looking for backups while hoping for the best. They’ve already started to explore different combinations in the recent series against West Indies. It’s a delicate balance between maintaining team stability and making necessary adjustments, especially as we move closer to the World Cup.
**Interviewer:** Thanks, Sanjay, for your insights! It’s going to be interesting to see how everything unfolds for Team India.
**Sanjay Mehta:** My pleasure! Let’s hope for some positive news on the fitness front!
