BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar has allayed concerns over batsman Shreyas Iyer’s fitness ahead of the World Cup. He claimed that the player is fit and fine and that is why he has been included in the ODI squad for the series against Australia.
Shreyas has had several injuries in the past year. After a layoff due to a back injury, he made a comeback for the recently concluded Asia Cup. However, the 28-year-old suffered from back spasms ahead of the Super 4 match against Pakistan and had to be replaced by KL Rahul. He did not feature in the subsequent matches of the competition.
However, during a virtual conference on Monday, September 18, Agarkar shared a positive update about Shreyas:
“He didn’t suffer a stress fracture; otherwise he wouldn’t be in the team. He’s doing well whether he’s batting or fielding. At the moment he is fit; That’s why we chose him in the selection. We are hopeful that he will get through all three of these games.
“He has worked incredibly hard in recent months to get to this stage, to be fit. Luckily for him it wasn’t a huge injury, but he did develop a niggle. He will have to get through these games, and we hope he will. He is doing well at the moment,” Agarkar added.
Shreyas batted in the group match against Pakistan at Pallekele, but was dismissed for 14, trying to withdraw Haris Rauf.
“Don’t think the team management will pick him” – Gautam Gambhir on Shreyas Iyer’s World Cup chances
Former India opener Gautam Gambhir recently predicted that Shreyas will be dropped from India’s World Cup squad due to his back injury. According to him, the Indian management will not risk the injury-prone batsman at a major event like the World Cup. He said during a discussion on Star Sports:
“It’s a concern. You’ve been out for so long, and then you come back for the Asia Cup, play one match and then become ineligible again. I don’t think the team management will pick him up for such a big tournament after this.
“You will see in the coming days that Iyer is not part of the World Cup squad and that someone will replace him. You always have to go to a World Cup with fit players. Performance is something else.”
Shreyas played 44 ODIs for India and scored 1645 runs at an average of 45.69, with two hundreds and 14 fifties.
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