KL Rahul puts dodgy hip to test with race against time for Asia Cup

Indian wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul, who is currently undergoing rehab, was seen gearing up for a national comeback. Rahul was spotted all padded up, working on his reflexes with the coaching staff at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru on Friday, August 11. The news hints at a strong statement regarding his recovery from injury and scopes his comeback to the national team after a prolonged gap.

Notably, the Bengaluru-born sustained a hip injury while fielding during the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Subsequently, he was ruled out of the tournament when it neared the business end, post which Krunal Pandya took over the leadership duties for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Although the Lucknow-based franchise qualified for the playoffs, Rahul's strike rate throughout the season was questioned alike by fans and experts.

Apart from the IPL, the 31-year-old also missed the World Test Championship final against Australia, which India lost. He also missed the ongoing tour against the West Indies. However, with regular practice and timely rehab, he is now expected to be available for the upcoming Asia Cup, 2023 and the all-important ODI World Cup.

Rahul to be key to solving India's middle-order dilemma

KL Rahul has been a vital cog for the Indian batting unit, especially in the One-Day Internationals (ODIs). In 2023, the Karnataka stumper-batter played six innings and scored 226 runs, which included a couple of half-centuries at an average of 56.50. KL Rahul's form will be crucial for India if they want to fancy their chances for the upcoming World Cup.

Subsequently, Rahul was sidelined from opening alongside mainstay skipper Rohit Sharma and took up a new role in the middle-order, batting at five. With many players being tried and tested in the middle-order due to Rahul and Shreyas Iyer's injuries, the dilemma still is not solved. However, both the players are now positive to be considered for being brought back into the side, and thus, the headache for key batting positions may finally be resolved.