Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma and bowler Mohammed Shami left the field with fitness issues during the match against Pakistan, but KL Rahul assured that there are no fitness concerns as India prepares for its final group match against New Zealand. Both teams have qualified for the semifinals, leaving Pakistan and Bangladesh eliminated. Rahul commented on the tight scheduling, noting that despite the temptation to rest senior players, he doesn’t believe it will happen. He also addressed competition with Rishabh Pant for the wicketkeeper role, acknowledging Pant’s talent while highlighting his own contributions to the team since August 2023.
Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma© AFP
After both Rohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami left the field due to fitness concerns during their win against Pakistan, wicket-keeper batter KL Rahul assured that there are no fitness issues ahead of the crucial final group match against New Zealand on Sunday. Both India and New Zealand have secured their spots in the semifinals from Group A, while the hosts Pakistan and Bangladesh are set to exit early after suffering consecutive defeats in the tournament. The two teams last met in an ODI during the 2023 World Cup semifinal, where the Men in Blue emerged victorious by 70 runs at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, earning a place in the final. “Fitness-wise, everything seems to be fine. There are no significant worries about anyone missing, to my knowledge. Everyone has been hitting the gym and participating in training,” said KL Rahul.
With only one rest day between India’s Group A match against New Zealand and their semifinal, it wouldn’t have been unusual for some senior players to take a rest ahead of the knockout stages. However, Rahul does not anticipate that occurring.
“Fortunately, I am not part of the leadership team. I don’t have to make that call. There might be some temptation to experiment with players who haven’t played yet. But I don’t foresee that happening in the Champions Trophy since there’s just one day’s break between the final group-stage game and the semifinal,” he added.
Rahul also spoke about his selection over Rishabh Pant in the ODI squad, noting that with strong backups available, the urge to frequently change the lineup is always present.
During Pant’s recovery from a life-threatening car accident, Rahul stepped up as India’s primary keeper-batter in ODIs since August 2023, establishing himself as a valuable middle-order batsman and dependable keeper in the 50-over World Cup, scoring 452 runs and executing 17 dismissals. “There is (competition with Pant), I won’t deny it. He is a very skilled player and has demonstrated to all of us his capability, how aggressively he can play, and how quickly he can alter the game. So, there’s always this temptation within the team, alongside the captain and coach, to consider if they should include him or stick with me,” said Rahul.
Topics mentioned in this article