"If a player is not fit during selection, you shouldn't pick him" - Kris Srikkanth on KL Rahul getting picked for Asia Cup

Former Indian batter Kris Srikkanth wasn't pleased with KL Rahul's return to India's Asia Cup 2023 squad despite carrying a niggle.

The All India Senior Senior Selection Committee named Rahul and Shreyas Iyer to the Asia Cup squad that was announced on Monday. Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar mentioned that Rahul is still carrying a niggle and will miss the Men in Blue's first game against arch-rivals Pakistan on September 2.

The development didn't go well with Srikkanth, who slammed the selectors, saying that a player shouldn't be picked if he isn't fully fit at the time of selection.

“It's being said that KL Rahul has a niggle," Kris Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel. "If you have a niggle, don't pick him in the squad. If a player is not fit during selection, you shouldn't pick him. That was our policy. On the day of selection, if a player is not fit, don't select him.”

"If you want to pick him for the World Cup, select him for the World Cup," he added. "That's a different issue. Now they are saying that he might play after a couple of matches and that's why we have picked Sanju Samson as a travelling reserve. What's all this."

Shreyas Iyer, on the other hand, is fully fit and will be available for selection from the first match of the continental tournament.

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"It should not be too bad" - Ajit Agarkar confident about KL Rahul regaining full fitness

New chairman of selector Ajit Agarkar insisted that wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul will regain fitness and there is nothing to worry about. Addressing reporters after naming the squad, Agarkar said:

"From what we have been told it should not be too bad (in Rahul’s case). We still have one month and a half before World Cup, hopefully, they (Iyer and Rahul) will get enough cricket before that."

India have also named Ishan Kishan as the backup wicketkeeper-batter while picking Sanju Samson as the traveling reserve.