'KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer have not played matches. Playing in a big game like Asia Cup or World Cup is totally different, there is a lot going on. Your level of fitness has to be more than 100%. I hope they are fit.'
Former Indian cricketers Madan Lal and Karsan Ghavri on Monday expressed concern over the fitness of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer ahead of the Asia Cup 2023.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday announced a 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 which will begin on August 30 with Jasprit Bumrah, Iyer, and Rahul returning to the squad.
"More or less, the team is the same which all of us were expecting. But the only worrying point is the fitness level. KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer have not played matches. Playing in a big game like Asia Cup or World Cup is totally different, there is a lot going on. Your level of fitness has to be more than 100%. I hope they are fit," the Indian cricketer said.
"If you are not fit physically then you are not mentally fit either -- injuries always worry you. Hope the selectors have taken care of that," he added.
Former India bowler Karsan Ghavri said India should have picked Yashasvi Jaiswal instead of Tilak Varma.
"Yashasvi did very well in the West Indies. He's in good form and given the way he has been performing, he should have been in the Asia Cup team. He has a bright future with Team India," he said.
"Everybody is rating Varma very highly, but where is the performance? I hope he does well," he added.
Varma was rewarded for his strong performances on the tour of the West Indies with a spot in the squad for the upcoming tournament.
The young batter is in line to make his ODI debut, having made waves in the domestic circuit.
The 2023 Asia Cup will be co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka with the tournament running from August 30 to September 17.
India will open their Asia Cup campaign with an iconic clash against Pakistan on September 2 in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been appointed Rohit Sharma's deputy in Asia Cup 2023.
The squad also marks the return of Jasprit Bumrah to ODI cricket after a gap of more than one year. After proving his fitness in the ongoing T20I series against Ireland, Bumrah is set to test himself in the 50-over format heading into the World Cup. India's pace attack will be boosted by the return of Mohammed Siraj, who was not the in the team for some time due to a sore ankle.
