Former India wicketkeeper, Saba Karim, has expressed his support for Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan as the ideal replacements for the number 4 and 5 positions, in case the first-choice players are unable to recover in time for the upcoming Asia Cup and World Cup.
The Indian team is anticipated to announce the squad for the Asia Cup within the next few days, and it remains uncertain whether the preferred choices of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul will be included.
"The selectors should take KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer into consideration - they can be included in the team if they are fit. But the wait has not ended, the team will be announced on the 20th from what I know, they have the time until then," Karim told the media during a chat organised by Jio Cinema.
"But if they are not fit, Ishan Kishan is a good option against Rahul since he can bat as an opener and in the middle-order," he added.
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Karim has identified three players for the No. 5 slot, but he has expressed a strong inclination towards senior batsman Suryakumar.
"If Shreyas Iyer is not fit, you have 2-3 options to pick from, in Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav. But for me, Suryakumar has gained experience of playing one-day cricket both domestically and internationally. I will still back Suryakumar Yadav," Karim said.
Karim also supports Jasprit Bumrah's chance to gain valuable match experience in Ireland. The team management and selectors are particularly concerned about Bumrah's fitness levels and match readiness.
"This (series) is a T20 format and it (captaincy) won't add more burden on him. It will only help him to understand his body better. They (India) are playing three T20 games, he can play at different phases," he added.
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