India’s update on Rahul and Iyer; Chahal’s exclusion revealed

India on Monday announced the 17-member squad for the Asia Cup with captain Rohit Sharma and selection committee Chairman Ajit Agarkar present at the press conference.

The biggest takeaway from the squad announcement for the Asia Cup was the return of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul. The duo return after successfully recovering from a back and thigh injury that has kept them on the sidelines for the last few months.

The middle order has been the Achilles heel for India since the 2019 World Cup and their return gives India a major lift heading into the 2023 World Cup.

Although Iyer is fully fit, doubts linger about Rahul's readiness due to a recent minor injury, potentially ruling him out of initial Asia Cup matches.

"Both of them are coming back from long-term injuries," Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar said. "Shreyas Iyer is completely fit. In the last few days, KL Rahul had a niggle that is unrelated to his original injury. That's why Sanju Samson is travelling.

"We are all expecting him to be fit, if not at the start of the Asia Cup maybe by the second or third game. He is well on track. Shreyas has been passed fit, which is good news.

"We don't pick the World Cup team until September 5 so it gives us more time.

With Rishabh Pant unavailable, KL Rahul has taken on the role of the designated wicketkeeper whenever he's been fit. Agarkar confirmed that Rahul will persist in this role after recovering from the latest niggle that could see him miss the first couple of games at the Asia Cup.

"Rahul plays as the wicketkeeper-batter, there's no doubt about it," Agarkar added. "We will try to have him fit for the first game. They (Rahul and Iyer) have done really well over the last few months to be fit.

"This is a small setback for KL Rahul but we are hopeful that he will be ok. But as you asked, his role in the team is that of a keeper and batter. He is a very important player needless to say."

Tilak Varma's inclusion in the Asia Cup squad came as a pleasant surprise. Following two impressive IPL seasons, he showcased his brilliance at international level in his seven T20Is.

Varma's List-A performance has been equally remarkable, amassing 1236 runs in 25 matches at an average of 56.18 and a strike rate of 101.64. More importantly, the 20-year-old could potentially fill the void of a left-handed presence in the middle order, a role crucial in the absence of Pant.

"We have had the luxury of picking 17 players right now," Agarkar noted. "We've obviously known the potential [of Tilak Varma], we saw some real promise in the West Indies not just in the performances but also in the temperament.

"It gives us the opportunity to take him with the team, give him some more exposure. Left-hander and looks very promising."

Asia Cup will also mark the return of Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna in the ODI setup, with the duo putting up great performances in the ongoing T20I series in Ireland.

While the fast-bowling department has received a significant boost, India have picked only three spinners with Yuzvendra Chahal missing out.

The decision posed a challenge between maintaining spin-bowling variety and reinforcing batting depth and both Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar were on the same page in choosing the latter.

"[Yuzvendra Chahal has been] A terrific performer for India. But sometimes, it's just the balance of the team," Agarkar said.

"You are looking at guys like Axar who can bat as well. Kuldeep has had a fantastic run at this point. To fit two wrist spinners might be difficult, so unfortunately one has to miss out. At this point, Kuldeep is a little ahead of him."

Rohit addressed the dilemma of desiring both a leg-spinner and an off-spinner, considering the contenders for selection. The captain also clarified that many of these players are still in contention for World Cup inclusion, emphasizing that the door remains open for them.

"We had a deep discussion about [having] an off-spinner and a leg-spinner as well," Rohit said. "It boiled down to having batting options at No. 8 and 9. Axar has had a good run this year, batted well in white-ball cricket, especially IPL. 

"With him being there, we have the option of a left-hander and somebody who can go up the order and play the spinners and create the long batting depth.

"We thought about the off-spinners, Ashwin and Washington Sundar. The only way we could have done that [selected another spinner] was at the expense of a seamer. And we cannot really do that because seamers are going to play a very important role in the next two months.

"Having said that, no doors are closed for anyone. Chahal has played a lot of cricket. If we feel like we need him for the World Cup, we will try and squeeze him. Same for Ashwin and Washi. Options are open for everyone."

India's Asia Cup campaign kicks off on 2 September with a high-voltage clash against Pakistan in Kandy, Sri Lanka before they face Nepal at the same venue two days later.