Although it is expected that the World Cup roster will be simple, there will be some discussion surrounding KL Rahul. The wicketkeeper-batsman, who was left at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for recovery and rehab while the Indian squad traveled to Sri Lanka, will have his or her fitness assessed. Despite being selected for the Asia Cup, he was told to show off his batting and keeping skills.
According to rumors, Rahul has met these standards. He played a match on September 1 in which he batted for 38 overs and kept wickets for the entire 50 overs. He was unable to squat while holding because of his thigh surgery, but it is thought that he has shown that he can do so without feeling particularly uncomfortable.
In a similar vein, he reportedly did well in another game on Monday. The insider stated, “He is okay,” implying that Rahul is prepared to resume his absence from international action since March of this year.
Rahul is sure to get the go-ahead, although he might not be flown out right away to join the team in Sri Lanka. Rohit Sharma initially said he would travel to Sri Lanka with the team after Monday’s second game, but that may be pushed back a little. Sanju Samson, who had gone to Lanka as a reserve in the 18-man team, would not play because Rahul is available.
The selectors’ next important decision is whether to select Shardul Thakur, an all-arounder, or Prasidh Krishna, a specialist. It appears that the team is seeking runs later in the lineup, which will benefit the latter. Tilak Varma, who was unexpectedly chosen for the Asia Cup, is probably not going to be included in the current roster.
Naturally, it will be a temporary roster because each cricket board must reveal their team by September 5, which is just one month before the World Cup begins. Boards, however, have until September 28 to change the roster. Several reserve players are likely to be included as well, and Indian selectors may make some adjustments after the three-match ODI series against Australia on September 22, 24 and 27.
Indian World Cup hopefuls number 15:
Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj are the players who will be batting for the team under Rohit Sharma (c).
On Tuesday, September 5, at 1.30 pm, the team will be revealed.
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