KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer (AFP Image)
Rohit Sharma is hopeful of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul to get fit in time and said the duo is working hard at the NCA for the last four months.
Captain Rohit Sharma opened up on KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer’s potential comeback as the duo is currently in rehab at NCA. The Indian skipper asserted that they won’t be automatic selection and as the team management will wait and watch before making a call on them.
Things looked good for India when Rahul and Iyer batted in the middle-order in the past couple of years and the duo is also on the comeback trail. However,
“No one is an automatic (selection), even I am not. We have this thing where nobody is guaranteed a spot. We cannot say that ‘you are there after all’ or things like that,” Rohit said.
“Yes, some players know that they are going to play but at this point in time, playing three ODIs in the West Indies was a good opportunity to look at a few guys. In the Asia Cup, again, we will face good opposition,” he said.
The Asia Cup is scheduled to be held just before the World Cup.
“Shreyas and KL are coming off not playing anything for four months, big injuries, surgeries rather. Both had surgeries. I know, I had to undergo surgery once and how it feels afterwards, it is quite tough. We have to see, how they respond, what they do.
“The selection (meeting) will be there in a few days, we will have a good debate about what we can do. But honestly nobody is an automatic choice – they all have to fight for the spot – everyone has to, whether it is a top spot or a bottom spot.
“We have got a lot of names there. We will see what is right combination for us to go in the World Cup but before we have the Asia Cup,” the India skipper said.
Rohit said he wants some of the Indian players to bat under pressure situations in the Asia Cup.
The swashbuckling opener said that the batters need to showcase their ability under pressure in the Asia Cup as India struggled recently in the big ICC tournaments.
“We will see, we want to win but at the same time there are a lot of questions that we need answers of. But in the Asia Cup, I want to see some of the guys batting under pressure against quality teams,” he said.
Rohit is hopeful of Iyer and Rahul to get fit in time and said the duo is working hard at the NCA for the last four months.
“I still want to see those things, so we will wait and see what happens, but it is always nice to have a lot of names, rather than just one or two names. I hope they are fit in time – firstly that is the most important.
“They (Rahul and Iyer) have been at the NCA for the last four months, working really hard and it looks quite positive so we will keep our fingers crossed,” Rohit added.
