India’s cricket captain, Rohit Sharma, has shared updates on the status of three injured players as the team intensifies its preparations for the upcoming Cricket World Cup 2023. Despite missing several key players during the Asia Cup Final against Sri Lanka, Rohit is confident that the team will regain full fitness in time for the tournament, providing an optimistic outlook for their campaign.
While India emerged victorious in the Asia Cup Final at the R. Premadasa Stadium, they were without the services of several key players. Furthermore, the composition of the team for the upcoming World Cup campaign, which will be played on home soil, has yet to be finalized.
Rohit Sharma, the team captain, is hopeful that all-rounder Axar Patel and batsman Shreyas Iyer will fully recover before India’s World Cup opener on October 8. However, he acknowledged that Axar Patel, who suffered both a wrist injury and a minor tear in his left quadricep, might miss some of the World Cup warm-up matches against Australia.
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“It appears that it might take a week or ten days (for his recovery), I can’t say for sure. We will have to monitor the progress of his injury. Some players recover quickly, and I hope that’s the case with him,” Rohit remarked after India’s convincing ten-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final.
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“I’m not certain if he will be available for the first two matches against Australia at home, but we will wait and see,” he added.
Rohit also provided updates on Shreyas Iyer and Ravichandran Ashwin. He mentioned that Shreyas Iyer, who missed the Asia Cup final due to minor back spasms, is “99% fit” and has nearly completed his rehabilitation process.
“Shreyas wasn’t available for the final because certain benchmarks needed to be met before his return. I believe he has completed most of those benchmarks today. I can confidently say he is about 99% fit at the moment. He looks good, he batted and fielded for extended periods as part of his recovery, and he was already on the field well before we arrived. I don’t think it’s a concern for us,” Rohit stated.
Regarding Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit clarified that the veteran spinner is still in contention for a spot in the World Cup squad, despite not being called up as a replacement for Axar Patel in the Asia Cup final. Rohit explained that Washington Sundar, another all-rounder, was preferred due to his last-minute availability. Washington had been prepared for India’s participation in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
“As a spinning all-rounder, Ashwin is in the mix, and I have been in touch with him over the phone,” Rohit emphasized. “Axar’s injury occurred at the last moment, and Washington was available, so he had to step in and fulfill that role for us. Washington was already in cricketing shape because he had been part of the Asian Games camp in Bengaluru. I have been transparent with the players about their roles, and everyone is informed about the situation,” he concluded.
-IANS
