New Delhi: Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul returned to India's ODI squad for Asia Cup 2023 after recovering from a thigh and back injury, respectively.
Both Rahul and Shreyas have been undergoing rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for several weeks. Before their induction, the dup participated in match-simulation exercises ahead of national selectors sitting to pick the team.
Rahul has not played any competitive cricket since he suffered an injury during IPL 2023, while Shreyas was out of action since Australia's tour of India in March.
The 17-man Asia Cup squad was announced by Chairman of Selectors Ajit Agarkar in Delhi on Monday.
Pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna also have been selected. The duo made their international comebacks in the onging T20I series in Ireland after recovering from back surgeries.
Left-hander Tilak Varma also has been picked up, and would make ODI debut if gets to play matches in Asia Cup.
Mohammed Shami makes a comeback after being rested for the entire tour of West Indies, while Mohammed Siraj and allrounders Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur come in to complete the pace attack.
Hardik has been named the deputy of Captain Rohit Sharma.
Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav replaces experienced legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal, while two finger-spinning allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, have been retained.
Ishan Kishan was preferred over Sanju Samson as the second wicketkeeper in the squad, after Rahul, with the left-hander doubling up as a reserve opener.
Samson, however, will travel to Sri Lanka as a reserve player.
Speaking to reporters, Agarkar said the team hopes that Rahul gets fit for the first match. "It's a small set back, the niggle that he picked. But he is still a very important player," he said.
Explaining why India picked just one wrist spinner, Agarkar said two wrist spinners was really difficult as Axar has done really well and can bat as well.
India's 17-man Asia Cup squad:
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna. (UNI)
