Kapil Dev warns India over these two batters selection in Asia Cup 2023

World Cup winner and former India captain Kapil Dev has backed the selections of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer for the upcoming Asia Cup. Both batters have been out of action due to their injuries. The Kolkata Knight Riders captain suffered a back injury during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year and has been out of action since then. Rahul, on the other hand, has been on the sidelines since picking up an injury during Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.

As per former World Cup-winning captain, every player should be tested before the ODI World Cup to be played in India and the Asia Cup is the perfect platform to test the fitness of a player. Rahul has a bit of niggle but could be back to full fitness before India's second game in the Asia Cup will be a question for the Men in Blue side.

Ideally, every player should be tested out: Kapil Dev

The 64-year-old batter said, "Ideally every player should be tested out. The World Cup is so close but you still haven't given the players a chance? What if they head to the World Cup and then get injured? The entire team will suffer. Here, at least they will get a chance to bat or bowl a little and get some rhythm going. Worst case scenario, if the guys get injured again during the World Cup, it will be unfair to the players who will miss out on being part of the squad. The injured players who have returned need to be given a chance. If they are fit, then can play the World Cup."

The former captain also suggested that a player should not be picked if there are any doubts over his fitness. While speaking about that he said, "There is no shortage of talent, but if they are not fit, India will have a chance to make changes to the World Cup squad right away. You have a wonderful opportunity to create a team for the World Cup and the Asia Cup is a fine platform. I want these players to go and express themselves. But if there is any sort of question mark, they don't need to be around. If you do not give them a chance, it will be unfair to not just the players but also the selectors. I am aware that the World Cup is taking place in India but you need to pick the best and fittest team."