Reports: Injured KL Rahul to miss upcoming Asia Cup

A lot of top Indian stars are currently dealing with injuries as neither NCA nor BCCI is confident about when players like Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul or Shreyas Iyer will be 100% fit and will be available for selection. Notably, all the above-mentioned cricketers are currently recovering and have started their training but a return date is not yet guaranteed.

Meanwhile, reports emerged that the star India batter KL Rahul will miss the upcoming Asia Cup, which can jeopardise his spot in the playing XI of the ODI World Cup, which is slated to begin later this year. Notably, the opener injured his thigh while playing for Lucknow Super Giants in the recently concluded Indian Premier League and has undergone surgery in London after that. He is currently at the NCA and is undergoing rehabilitation but as per Cricbuzz, the cricketer might need some more time to regain full fitness and thus, he is unlikely to be available for the upcoming continental Cup.

In his absence, Sanju Samson is likely to get an extended run in the playing XI as India need someone who can control the situation in the middle overs. After Pant’s injury, Rahul did a brilliant job at number five but his injury has opened the doors for Samson, who represented India in only 11 ODI matches, scoring 330 runs in the process. Ishan Kishan remains another option but he is more suited as an opener and thus, the Kerala-born cricketer can very well prove his mettle and own the number five spot in the coming times. 

Bumrah likely to play practice matches soon

Jasprit Bumrah’s absence has hurt the Indian team in the past and thus, the team management is desperate to see him make his return before the ODI World Cup. As things stand, the pacer is likely to feature in the Ireland series but a lot will depend on how well he recovers. He is reported to be 70% fit at the moment and the board is reluctant to rush at the moment.

The key to his return depends on how he performs in a few of the practice matches that the 29-year-old will play in Bengaluru. His fitness is being constantly monitored and the trainers will also keep an eye on his workload management.