Middle-order batsman KL Rahul spent nearly an hour on Friday, August 25, batting and also had a session with India’s fitness coach at the Karnataka State Cricket Association ground in Alur. Reports from Star Sports revealed that Ishan Kishan engaged in wicketkeeping drills with fielding coach T Dilip.
Rahul, who was sidelined for three months due to a thigh injury, made a comeback by being selected for India’s squad in the Asia Cup 2023. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar mentioned during the squad announcement that although Rahul had recovered from the initial injury, he had a new minor issue that might keep him out of the initial matches.
Star Sports reporter Rohan Deshmukh observed Rahul’s batting and running between the wickets and concluded that he appeared fit to bat, with the unexplained minor issue not posing a significant problem. For the first part of the tournament starting on August 31, Ishan Kishan might take Rahul’s place in the middle order.
Sanju Samson, the captain of Rajasthan Royals, is also present with the team as a backup wicketkeeper. All members of the Asia Cup squad are participating in a five-day skill-enhancement camp in Alur, except those who recently played in Ireland. The latter group is expected to join the camp within a couple of days.
KL Rahul is expected to play a key role fr India
Notably, former World Cup winner and selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth strongly expressed his disagreement with Rahul’s selection.
Srikkanth exclusively gave a statement: “It’s being said that KL Rahul has a niggle,” he said in a video on his YouTube channel. “If you have a niggle, don’t pick him in the squad. If a player is not fit during selection, you shouldn’t pick him if you want to pick him for the World Cup, select him for the World Cup. That’s a different issue.”
He continued: “Now they are saying that he might play after a couple of matches, and that’s why we have picked Sanju Samson as a travelling reserve. What’s all this?”
The Asia Cup is set to commence on August 31st, with India’s opening match against Pakistan scheduled for September 2nd.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates
