Gautam Gambhir said that while Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul’s return from their respective injuries is a positive sign for Team India, the two veteran batters will have to perform well in the upcoming games in the lead-up to the ICC ODI World Cup. Gambhir also added that both Iyer and Rahul will have to make the most of their chances to be the top players for the middle-order spots in the Indian XI for the upcoming mega event.
Speaking to Star Sports, Gautam Gambhir said: “One thing is clear; there is no front-runner for a position when you are trying to win the World Cup. Form and impact are important. The players who are in form need to be picked, rather than those who are not. Let it be Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, or anybody. If Tilak Varma is in better form than someone, if Suryakumar Yadav is in better form than Shreyas Iyer or KL Rahul or Ishan Kishan, then you need to start that player.”
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He continued: “Because the World Cup comes once in four years, you don’t go and see who is a front-runner or not,” he added. “Who is in the best form after the Asia Cup and the Australia series, just as Rohit Sharma had said, there is no guarantee for anybody’s position. It’s great to have Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul back from injury, but they will need to perform if they want to get in the starting lineup of the squad.”
It is also noteworthy that, while Shreyas Iyer is completely fit for the Asia Cup 2023, KL Rahul could miss the initial matches due to a niggle. Both of them are returning from long injury layoffs and will have to prove themselves worthy in the middle order as well.
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“I will only look at the form, not the name. Because if you want to win the World Cup, only form and impact from the players will help you win. A good thing the selectors have done is picked Suryakumar Yadav in the team. Because Suryakumar Yadav may not have the consistency, but he has the impact, and the team management should find the most efficient way to use him. So, in my opinion, whether it’s KL Rahul or Shreyas Iyer or anybody, we will look at their form after the Asia Cup and which team plays in the Australia series. That series will determine who plays in the World Cup rather than deciding after the series is over, that who will play in the World Cup. Because there should be a series before the World Cup where your main squad plays together,” Gautam Gambhir concluded.
