KL Rahul has clinched a spot in India's ODI World Cup squad, a move that has stirred up quite a buzz in the cricketing world. Rahul, despite being out of competitive cricket action since May this year, has made a triumphant return to the squad. India's premier wicketkeeper-batter for the ODI format, Rahul, is all set to embark on a thrilling journey as he gears up for the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, following a successful fitness assessment at the prestigious National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru on September 4.
However, the road to World Cup glory was not without its share of disappointments. Middle-order dynamo Tilak Varma and the fiery fast bowler Prasidh Krishna, both part of the current 17-member squad in Sri Lanka, faced the agony of missing out on this prestigious tournament. Sanju Samson, who had been warming the benches as a reserve player at the Asia Cup, also found himself on the list of those who didn't make the cut.
Ishan Kishan, the other wicketkeeper-batter in the squad, retained his spot with aplomb. Kishan demonstrated his prowess by top-scoring with an impressive 82 runs, marking his fourth successive ODI half-century, in India's recent Asia Cup opener against Pakistan in Pallekele on September 2.
Even with Kishan's sensational form raising the tantalizing prospect of him donning the role of a specialist middle-order batter, the selectors opted to include Suryakumar Yadav in the final 15. Suryakumar, renowned for his T20 exploits, possesses rather modest ODI statistics, with an average of 24.22 and just two half-centuries in 24 innings. He candidly admitted his ongoing struggle to conquer the 50-over format.
KL Rahul's journey back to the World Cup squad has been nothing short of a remarkable comeback story. The last time he graced an ODI match was in March this year before suffering a debilitating tendon injury in his right thigh during the IPL, which eventually led to surgery in May. Despite being selected in the Asia Cup squad following extensive rehabilitation at the NCA, Rahul was sidelined for the initial two matches due to a fresh niggle.
Speaking about the fitness concerns, India's chief selector Ajit Agarkar stated in a press conference, "We had a couple of fitness issues that we had to look at, but all three - Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, and Shreyas Iyer - who had long-term injuries have come through. KL is looking good. We feel this gives us the best balance to try and do well. With KL, he was part of the camp in Bangalore, he looked really good there, has got over his niggle. He played a couple of games over the last two days. I think he kept for 50 overs and batted for around 50 overs too, so he looks good, and we're happy to have him."
Rahul Dravid, who had earlier expressed satisfaction with Rahul's recovery, elaborated on India's cautious approach. Rahul has been diligently working at the NCA with head physio Nitin Patel, culminating in a match simulation exercise on Monday to evaluate his readiness.
The Indian pace attack will be spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah, supported by the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami, alongside fast-bowling all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur. Kuldeep Yadav will assume the role of the frontline wristspinner, while Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja will contribute as left-arm spin-bowling all-rounders. Notably, the squad does not feature a specialist offspinner.
Ajit Agarkar explained, "Clearly there will be discussions given we have both Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel who spin the ball into left-handers. [But] both give us depth in batting. Kuldeep takes the ball away. In 50 overs cricket, perhaps you would ideally want an offspinner, but this gives us the best balance. Seamers tend to bowl a lot more in ODIs as compared to T20 cricket, and perhaps you're a little more under pressure if you don't have an offie, so we're happy with the guys we have."
The deadline for submitting the World Cup squad to the ICC is September 5, with teams allowed to make changes until September 28 without requiring ICC approval. This additional window gives India three more ODIs against Australia following the Asia Cup, offering players like Rahul and Iyer an opportunity to gain valuable match practice. India's World Cup campaign kicks off on October 8 when they face Australia in Chennai.
India's World Cup Squad:
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (vice-capt), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj.
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