KL Rahul was picked in the Asia Cup squad despite the Lucknow Super Giants captain picking up a niggle during his recovery from a thigh injury that kept him out on the sidelines for close to 3 months. After returning from surgery, Rahul’s rehabilitation was overseen at the National Cricket Academy. Unfortunately, the star batter picked up a “fresh niggle” which was “unrelated” to his previous injury, selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar revealed when the squad for the continental tournament was announced on August 21.

India still went ahead and picked KL Rahul in the 17-man extended squad and added Sanju Samson as a traveling reserve. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar expressed confidence that Rahul would recover in time, at least for the latter stages of the Asia Cup.

However, head coach Rahul Dravid, addressing a press conference on the eve of Indai’s departure to Sri Lanka, confirmed that KL Rahul would be unavailable for the first two games, including the marquee clash against Pakistan on September 2 in Pallekele. In fact, Dravid said that Rahul would stay back in Bengaluru and work on his recovery and that a call would be taken on September 4 after a couple of simulation matches at the NCA.

Dravid called it a precautionary move.

“We are hoping that it should be only two games that he is missing. I am not worried about it,” the head coach said, adding that Rahul was batting well in the 6-day preparatory camp in Alur after which India left for Sri Lanka.

IND v PAK: Pallekele Weather Forecast for September 2

Rahul’s absence has put India in a spot of bother. India are likely to play Ishan Kishan ahead of Sanju Samson as the wicketkeeper-batter against Pakistan in the much-anticipated Group A match of Asia Cup 2023 on Saturday, September 2.

KL Rahul predominantly batted at No. 5 for India and Ishan Kishan has never batted at that spot. With fit-again Shreyas Iyer back in the XI, it will only be fair if he is given his original spot – No. 4 where he thrived last year.

WILL ISHAN OPEN VS PAKISTAN?

It will now be interesting to see if India tinker with their top order as Ishan Kishan has found success as an opener in ODIs in the recent past. Ishan’s double hundred against Bangladesh last year came as an opener. However, the Mumbai Indians batter was given a middle-order role in the ODIs against New Zealand and Australia as India gave Shubman Gill a go at the top.

As Shubman Gill grabbed his chances with a sensational run, including a double hundred against New Zealand in ODIs, Ishan Kishan had a lean patch with scores of – 5, 8 not out, 17 and 3.

When Ishan Kishan was handed back the opener’s spot, the left-handed batter responded with 3 fifties in as many matches in the tour of West Indies in July. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were rested as India opener with Ishan and Gill in the 3-match series.

ISHAN’S NUMBERS IN ODIS

As opener: 6 matches, 425 runs, 1 hundred, 3 fifties

At No. 3: 4 matches, 163 runs, 2 fifties

At No. 4: 6 matches, 106 runs, 1 fifty

Will Ishan Kishan slot back at No. 4? Or will he go out to open the batting? Are India confident of having KL Rahul back?

Former India captain and chief selector Kris Srikkanth suggested that having Ishan Kishan to open the batting against the high-quality Pakistan bowling might not be a bad idea, considering how India’s top-order has struggled against left-arm pacers.

Srikkanth also backed the idea of Virat Kohli batting at No. 4 – a suggestion that is getting more and more backing after Ravi Shastri had highlighted it last month.

“If Ishan Kishan has to be in the XI. He has to open the batting,” Srikkanth said in his YouTube show.

“You are playing against Pakistan. They have some terrific fast bowlers. You have to take your chances. You have give Ishan the license to go out and take the attack to the Pakistan bowlers,” he added.

“That’s why I am saying (for left-right combination), take a bold call and send Ishan Kishan to open the batting. Ask him to attack,” he added.

Captain Rohit Sharma spoke about the need for batters to be flexible. However, does the flexibility clause apply to only the youngsters?

Can Rohit do what Sourav Ganguly did and drop himself to the middle-order? Will Virat Kohli do what Sachin Tendulkar agreed to do in 2007 and drop himself to No. 4?

A big test against a pumped-up Pakistan side awaits and India can’t enter the contest without conviction.