KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are unlikely to be picked for the Asia Cup 2023, the squad for which is anticipated to be announced this week. According to a Cricbuzz report, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have indicated that these two batters have not sufficiently recovered to be considered for the continental championship, from August 30 to September 17.Despite both players sharing progress updates on their fitness on social media, insiders suggest that it's premature to rush them into international action. However, they remain contenders for the ODI World Cup, later this year, if they make a complete recovery. In such a scenario, the three-ODI series against Australia in September might serve as their comeback matches.
Iyer opted to have surgery on his back after persistent injury troubles. The right-handed batter was last seen during the Border-Gavaskar series. He missed the entirety of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, with the franchise being led by Nitish Rana in his absence. Rahul, on the other hand, sustained his injury midway through the 2023 IPL season while representing the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The wicket-keeper sought treatment in England, and while he has begun practicing in the nets, the general belief behind the scenes is that he is not ready for competitive cricket as of yet. There is also a slight chance for Prasidh Krishna, who has been named in the three-match T20I series against Ireland, to feature in the 2023 Asia Cup. The right-arm pacer has recently recovered from a long-term injury that caused him to miss the IPL for the Rajasthan Royals (RR).The absence of Rahul and Iyer implies that most of the players, who were part of the just-concluded three-match ODI series against West Indies will likely feature in the six-team championship set to be held in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. There will be a few bowling changes though, with Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, and the indomitable Jasprit Bumrah returning. The final team composition and batting order will be determined during the Asia Cup preparatory camp scheduled in Bengaluru from August 24 to 29. India's inaugural match in the Asia Cup is against Pakistan on September 2.
