New Delhi: Prior to the peak cricketing season, when teams will compete for the Asia Cup and ICC Cricket World Cup titles, Indian opener KL Rahul, who had sustained an injury during the IPL, has begun practicing his batting and wicketkeeping. The Asia Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka with most of the games taking place on the island nation, will begin on August 30.
India will begin hosting the ICC Cricket World Cup from October 5. Rahul suffered an injury during the game on May 1 against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), who also serve as the captain of The Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He limped off the field after chasing a ball in the outfield during the second over while clutching it to his thigh.
India has been using Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan as wicketkeepers in KL's absence. Since Rishabh Pant is also recovering from injuries sustained in a car accident last year, Rahul was initially the main choice in wicketkeeping leading up to the Asia Cup and the World Cup.
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The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) provided an update on the recovery of several of its key players, including Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer, on July 21. In addition to strength and conditioning exercises, Rahul and Iyer have resumed batting practice in the nets.
"They have resumed batting in the nets and are currently undergoing strength and fitness drills. The BCCI Medical Team is satisfied with their progress and will increase their intensity in terms of both skills and strength and conditioning in the coming days," BCCI had stated about Rahul and Iyer's recovery from their injuries.
Bumrah will be the team's captain in a revamped India T20I squad traveling to Ireland for a three-match series beginning on August 18.
Pant has also made important strides in his recovery and has started to bat and keep in the nets. According to the statement, he is currently following a fitness regimen that was created just for him and includes running, strength training, and flexibility exercises.
The middle order, where Rahul boasts of some really impressive numbers, has been significantly weakened by Rahul's absence. Rahul was batting at position five after Pant's mishap and some underwhelming outings at the top of the order.
He has played as the number five batter in 18 ODIs, during which time he has scored 742 runs at an average of 53.00 and a strike rate of 99.33. With a best score of 112, he has one century and seven half-centuries in this position.
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Rahul has played in two Test matches this year, totaling 38 runs in three innings with a 20-run best. With 226 runs scored in six innings at an average of 56.50, two half-centuries, and a top score of 75*, he has a better record in ODIs this year.
Rahul's performance in international cricket last year was uneven. He scored 822 runs in 30 games last year, averaging 25.68, with nine half-centuries in 33 innings, and a top score of 73 runs. He averaged just 17.12 runs per innings in four Tests, scoring 137 runs in eight innings with one fifty.
He had two fifty-scores in nine innings and 251 runs at an average of 27.88 in 10 ODIs. He scored 434 runs at an average of 28.93 in 16 T20Is and 16 innings, with a strike rate of over 126 and six fifty-plus scores.
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