Gautam Gambhir Questions Role Of BCCI's NCA On Shreyas Iyer Injury, Says Star Won't Be Part Of World Cup
Shreyas Iyer returned to action for the Asia Cup group stage match against Pakistan, but later in the tournament, Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma said that he had a back spasm
Former India batter Gautam Gambhir feels Shreyas Iyer won't be part of the World Cup squad, having not played much cricket for the entirety of 2023. Iyer has been out of the side since March this year when he had suffered a lower back stress. He returned to the playing XI for the Asia Cup group stage match against Pakistan. However, later in the tournament, Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma said that he had a back spasm. Gambhir urged the management not to pick injury-prone players for a big tournament like World Cup.
"It is a concern. You were out for such a lengthy time and then you return for Asia Cup, play one match and then again become unfit. I don't think after this team management will pick up him for such a big tournament," Gambhir said on Star Sports.
"You will see in the coming days that Iyer won't be part of the World Cup squad and someone will be replacing him. You should always go into a World Cup with fit players. Performance is a different thing. Imagine if a player suffers from a spasm or some other thing then you cannot find a replacement.
"So if Iyer hasn't been fit in this tournament then it is very difficult for him to be part of the World Cup because of his injury and then we don't even know how is form is presently. Whatever his form was, it was 7-8 months back after which he only played in one game. So it is unfortunate,"
Gambhir also slammed the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials for 'clearing Iyer too quickly' from his injury.
"If questions are to be raised then ask the NCA because that is where he was all these months and then got a clearance from there as well. Who knows maybe they cleared him too quickly?," he added.
On Sunday, pacer Mohammed Siraj returned figures of 6-21 to lead India's rout of Sri Lanka by 10 wickets as they clinched their eighth Asia Cup title on Sunday.
Siraj got four wickets in one over to help skittle Sri Lanka out for 50, a total the Indian openers Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill surpassed in 6.1 overs for an impressive victory ahead of next month's ODI World Cup at home.
(With AFP Inputs)
India Cricket Team
Rahul Dravid
Rohit Sharma
Gautam Gambhir