KL Rahul finds himself in a tight spot with two days left for India to announce their provisional squad for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
Notably, Rahul sustained a thigh injury during an IPL match on May 1. Subsequently, he underwent surgery in London and extended rehabilitation at the NCA in Bangalore.
While the wicketkeeper-batter has completely recovered from his thigh surgery, he has picked up a fresh niggle to be ruled out of at least two Asia Cup 2023 matches.
Meanwhile, the latest TOI report claims that Indian selectors have decided to draft Rahul into the preliminary World Cup squad after he cleared a fitness test at the National Cricket Academy.
According to the report, Rahul is set to join the Indian squad in Colombo for the remainder of the Asia Cup but there is going to be a caution first approach towards playing him in ODIs before the World Cup gets underway on October 5.
"There has been no complaint when he bats. It's while squatting that he has been feeling his hamstring. That has got much better in the past week. He will join the team for the Colombo leg of the Asia Cup. The World Cup team is likely to be announced in a day or two," TOI quoted a BCCI source as saying.
In KL Rahul’s absence, Ishan Kishan is performing well for the Indian team. The southpaw opened the batting and slammed three successive half-centuries in the ODI series against West Indies in July-August, while he produced a stunning knock of 81-ball 82 at No. 5 in India’s Asia Cup opener against Pakistan on Saturday (September 2).
"Ishan is seen as a back-up opener and a wicket-keeping option who can also bat at No. 5. The team management will be very cautious while pushing the players who are coming back from long injury layoffs. It doesn't want any of the players getting injured right before the World Cup as that can disrupt their plans in a big way. The three-ODI series against Australia at home this month will be a fair indicator," the source added.
The World Cup squad is unlikely to feature a player from outside the team picked for the ongoing Asia Cup.
(With TOI Inputs)
