In August, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced the 17-member squad for the 2023 Asia Cup, and during the announcement, he revealed that KL Rahul had incurred a fresh injury. Rahul had been sidelined from action since May 2023, following a hamstring injury he suffered during IPL 2023, which also required surgery.
Agarkar disclosed that just days before the Asia Cup squad announcement, Rahul suffered a new niggle, causing him to miss the first two matches of the tournament. As a result, Rahul was asked to remain at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to work with physios on his recovery.
However, on August 5, Agarkar included Rahul in the 15-member squad for the ODI World Cup, providing updates on Rahul’s fitness. He mentioned that Rahul had participated in practice matches at the NCA to prove his match fitness. Rahul batted for the entire duration of 50 overs during these matches.
Agarkar stated, “KL Rahul looked really good during the training camp but picked up that niggle which we had talked about just before the Asia Cup, which he had mentioned before. But he has gotten over it already. In the last few days, he has played two 50-over matches, kept for 50 overs as well, and batted for almost the duration of 50 overs. He is an important player for us, and we are happy to have him back.”
This development opens up the possibility of Rahul rejoining the Indian squad in Colombo for the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup. During his absence, Ishan Kishan batted in the two matches that India played and impressed with a stunning 82-run performance against Pakistan.
In addition to the Asia Cup, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced India’s World Cup squad, with Rahul included in the lineup. The squad comprises Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Axar Patel, Ishan Kishan, and Suryakumar Yadav.
