Selectors, team management banking on KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Jasprit Bumrah to be fit and running in Asia Cup, World Cup | Cricket News

In the iconic movie The Shawshank Redemption, there are a couple of famous lines about “hope”. In one of their conversations, Red (played Morgan Freeman) says, “Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.” In reply, Andy Dufresne (played Tim Robbins), says “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”The Indian cricket team’s selection for the Asia Cup follows a similar theme. Captain Rohit Sharma and the chief selector Ajit Agarkar “hope” that their three key players – KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Jasprit Bumrah, who are coming back after long injury layoffs – will hit the ground running and be at their best during the World Cup at home.Not to forget, Rohit Sharma’s team will be clocking a lot of air miles in the upcoming tournament, covering a dance of approximately 8,400 km. They will be playing their nine league games at nine different venues in a span of 34 days.

Shreyas-KL muddle
Batsmen who come in at Nos 4 and 5 play a massive role, especially in sub-continent conditions – be it Aravinda de Silva’s match-winning century in the 1996 World Cup final or MS Dhoni’s unbeaten 91 in the 2011 title clash, or Yuvraj Singh’s vital 57 not out in the quarterfinals against Australia in that same event.
India’s designated No. 4 Iyer, who has undergone surgery for a recurring back injury, has not played any competitive cricket since the Test series against Australia in February-March.
The two were racing against time to stay fit. (File)
Rahul, another mainstay in the first-choice XI and probably someone who will also don the gloves, underwent surgery on his right thigh a few months ago and has been out for the past three and a half months.
At the press conference to announce the Asia Cup squad, Agarkar informed that Rahul has picked up another niggle and Sanju Samson has been picked as a back-up option.

“Shreyas has been declared completely fit. KL Rahul has picked up a niggle. It is not his original injury, and that’s why Sanju is travelling with us. We are all expecting him to be fit, if not at the start of the Asia Cup, maybe the second or third game, but he is well on track. They are two important players and since we are not picking the team for the World Cup till September 5, it gives us some time,” Agarkar told reporters in New Delhi on Monday.
Even if Rahul recovers in time, will he be fit enough to keep wicket? Agarkar was again “hopeful.”
“Obviously, Rahul plays as a wicketkeeper-batter. The attempt is to have him fit from our first game. The niggle is a small setback for Rahul, but we all are hopeful that he will be okay. His role is as a keeper-batter. Needless to say, he is a very important player.”
Skipper Rohit feels the No. 4 conundrum is a thing of the past and is hopeful that in eleven games (including two World Cup practice matches), Shreyas Iyer will make the position his own.

“We have got guys who can bat at No.4. It’s not about No.4. It’s about top three and there onwards, 4, 5, 6, 7 and there onwards and who can win us the game.
“There have been challenges and guys have been put under pressure, and that’s a good thing. Unfortunately, we had injuries along the line and we had to try out different players and workload management and see what combination suits you. We tried Axar (Patel) as a left-hander to go and try his hand freely. This is what we want to do. We have 9 ODIs and two practice games and we have a lot of games where these guys will get a chance to make the position their own,” the captain said.
Bumrah’s comeback
Bumrah bowling at full throttle is a pleasing sight for the Indian team management. He is going to be an indispensable cog for the skipper, what Zaheer Khan was to MS Dhoni in 2011. But it is not going to be easy. Zaheer was at his peak, bowled the high-pressure overs and finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker in the tournament. Will Bumrah, who has just made his comeback after 327 days on the sidelines, be able to replicate Zaheer?
“I will only be happy if, on match day, the team sheet says all are fit and available,” said Rohit.
Again, high on hope!
“Injuries are part and parcel of the game. Injuries are happening not just in India but everywhere around the world. What we try is to do the best we can. When you have injuries, you can’t really do too much other than thinking how we can get the other guys to come and do the role that the injured players were doing.
Jasprit Bumrah in Ireland in the second T20I. (Twitter/BCCI)
“That’s all you can do and hope for the best that the guys who are injured come back quicker. Now that they are back, hopefully, they stay on for a longer period of time,” he added.
The skipper said decisions about players’ fitness and availability are made with inputs from the medical staff and trainers.
“When it comes to workload management, I am not an expert. These decisions are made in consultation with the physios and trainers. They are the best in what they do. Based on the reports we get, we make decisions and rest or rotate as many players as we have to. It is all based on the information we get from the physios and trainers.”
Ishan Kishan’s role
In case Rahul fails to regain fitness in time, how will India fit Ishan Kishan in the middle order, as he has almost exclusively played for India at the top of the line-up, and has been picked in the squad as the third opener.
India’s Ishan Kishan plays a shot during the West Indies tour. (AP)
Rohit explained: “One thing I need in this team is everyone ready to bat anywhere. That’s one thing we need to keep in mind and it is critical for Team India, not just this format but any format. Cricket is moving in a different direction. No one should say I am good at this position and that position.
“Guys should be able to bat anywhere. That message has been conveyed to every individual, not now but for the last two, three or four years. It hasn’t happened overnight.”
Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar during the press conference. (Screengrab)
But the players in question are taken into confidence before any such call is taken.
“Not like we go off to sleep at night telling a batter a position and next morning we change that position. It doesn’t happen like that. It’s clearly communicated that this is where we want you to bat in the tournament, wherever the team requires you to bat.Most Read
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“You don’t want to be handicapped or stuck with one player batting at one position only. Of course we want players to bat in certain positions but we want the top eight to be ready and that is the message that has gone to everyone in the team. We have told them to be flexible.”

World Cup selection
Agarkar said that the selectors are close to picking their final 15 for the World Cup and are hopeful that all the players coming back from injuries will be fit and raring to go.
“It is really a no-brainer. We have picked 18 guys. So it will be in and around these guys. We have a few important players coming back from injuries. Hopefully, all goes well with them. Fortunately, we have some more time. September 5 is the deadline. We have a short camp and a couple of games before picking the squad. It will obviously be around these guys. It is quite obvious,” the former India pacer said.