KL Rahul should only be considered if he plays as a wicket-keeper batsman: Sanjay Bangar ahead of Asia Cup | Cricket News

The time is nigh. With the 2023 Asia Cup, begins India’s road to the ODI World Cup starting October at home. The men in blue are looking to end the 10-year drought of ICC trophies since their Champions Trophy triumph in 2013.
But in front of them are some pertinent questions regarding what the team should look like, at the continental as well as the world championships. Among those is the constitution of the middle order. The return of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul has bolstered the squad but both have been out of action for months now and will mark their return in the 11th hour for the Rohit Sharma-led side. Are they match fit? If so, where should they bat?
With regards to Rahul, former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar believes there’s only one role to be occupied. “I think keeper batter because no one bowls in the top 5 of team India, so it means if you want 6 bowling options you should have a player in your top 5 who can bowl or he should be a wicket-keeper batsman. So, I feel if KL Rahul plays the role of a wicket-keeper batsman, I believe then only he should be considered in the playing XI because in that way the team’s balance will be maintained,” Bangar told Star Sports.
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Rahul’s fitness ahead of India’s first match at the Asia Cup against Pakan – on September 2 – is under doubts. Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar had stated that the 31-year-old had picked up a niggle while recovering from his thigh injury.
“If Kl Rahul is not fit as a batsman then Ishan Kishan has done nothing wrong because he is a better wicket-keeper and also a regular wicket-keeper. So, in the 50 over format game wherever India is going to play you will obviously want a fit and number one wicket keeper to play in the starting XI rather than considering a player who is half fit or who feels that he can be injured again,” Bangar added.

Kishan was India’s top run scorer in their last ODI bilateral series in the West Indies, where he opened the batting for the men in blue and scored three half centuries off the three games.