Madan Lal raises concern over Iyer, absence of Chahal

MUMBAI: Former Indian Cricketer Madan Lal on Monday expressed his concern over the fitness of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer and was surprised by the exclusion of Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin from the Indian squad for the Asia Cup 2023. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday announced a 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 which will begin on August 30 with Jasprit Bumrah, Iyer, and Rahul returning to the squad.

"More or less, the team is the same which all of us were expecting. But the only worrying point is the fitness level. KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer had not played matches. Playing in a big game like Asia Cup or World Cup is totally different, there is a lot going on. Your level of fitness has to be more than 100%. I hope they are fit," the Indian cricketer told ANI. "I was a little surprised about Yuzvendra Chahal, Ashwin is not there either," he said. Rahul sustained an injury in the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on May 1. He was in rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy.

While Iyer had opted out of back surgery for his recurring lower-back injury. He was advised to rest and continue his rehab. The injury had first ruled him out of the final Test against Australia during the recently-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy and he also missed the ODI series against the visitors. During the Asia Cup team announcement, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said that KL Rahul is having a niggle and is expected to recover by the second or third game of the Asia Cup. The 2023 Asia Cup will be co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka with the tournament running from August 30 to September 17. The Asia Cup will serve as an important benchmark for India’s preparations for the World Cup starting in October and will also help selectors make choices for the marquee event.

India will open their Asia Cup campaign with an iconic clash against Pakistan on September 2 in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been appointed Rohit Sharma's deputy in Asia Cup 2023. The squad also marks the return of Jasprit Bumrah to ODI cricket after a gap of more than one year. After proving his fitness in the ongoing T20I series against Ireland, Bumrah is set to test himself in the 50-over format heading into the World Cup. India's pace attack will be boosted by the return of Mohammed Siraj, who was not the in the team for some time due to a sore ankle