Former Indian cricketer Abhishek Nayar urged the Indian team management to give enough game time to the comeback man KL Rahul in the forthcoming Asia Cup 2023. The 31-year-old has been ruled out of the first two games in the continental event, as he is slated to travel to Sri Lanka only for the group four stage.
KL Rahul has returned to the Indian team after a long-standing injury that he picked up during IPL 2023. The wicket-keeper batter missed out on the majority of the 2023 season due to an injury but is working to put his best foot forward to be fit for the ODI World Cup in India.
Speaking to Times Of India, Abhishek Nayar wants to give enough matches for KL Rahul in the Asia Cup to get himself ready for the ODI World Cup in India and feels that he should be provided with an opportunity to play in the forthcoming games as he is coming back from an injury despite having Sanju Samson as a backup option in the team for the continental event.
“KL has a niggle but he is in the squad. You want to give him game time and enough matches to build up. The players who are likely to play in the World Cup should be in the team,” Abhishek Nayar said.
“Sanju has been playing in the West Indies and Ireland which is great, but with KL coming back from an injury, you have to give him enough game time before the World Cup,” Abhishek Nayar added.
There were a lot of questions about the match fitness of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer as they will return to competitive cricket after a long-standing injury and the selectors have named Sanju Samson as a backup wicket-keeper in the team for the continental event in Sri Lanka.
In the preparatory camp in Alur, KL Rahul was seen batting alongside Indian skipper Rohit Sharma on the central pitch as part of a match simulation going into the Asia Cup 2023. It was said that KL Rahul batted without much discomfort in the middle running between the wickets and was also seen taking up wicket-keeping practice in the camp.
Ishan Kishan is likely to take up the wicket-keeping duty for the Indian team in the absence of KL Rahul, as he showed prowess doing well for the team in the recently-concluded West Indies tour, where he won the player of the series award for his brilliant performance opening the batting for the team.