KL Rahul, Bhuvneshwar Kumar to play in next round of Ranji matches

It has been confirmed that India opener KL Rahul and seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar have recovered from their respective injury troubles and will play the next round of Ranji Trophy matches beginning on November 13. Both of them were forced to miss most part of the New Zealand series.

Bhuvneshwar confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that he would turn out for Uttar Pradesh against Mumbai in Mysore, and Karnataka coach J Arun Kumar said Rahul would join the team on November 10 ahead of their Group B clash against Rajasthan in Vizianagaram.

Rahul injured his hamstring while running between the wickets and missed the remaining two Tests and the subsequent five-match ODI series. He has since undergone rehabilitation before being picked for the game against Mumbai.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, on the other hand, picked up a back strain in the second Test, in Kolkata, where his five-for in the first innings gave India a substantial lead and set up a 178-run win. It was his second five-wicket haul in three matches – the first one came against West Indies in St Lucia, which was his first Test in over 19 months.

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Rahul and Bhuvneshwar both will be looking forward to prove their match fitness in the matches after being inactive for more than a month. Good performances there could put them in line for selection in India’s side for the last three Tests against England.

Meanwhile, Shikhar Dhawan is also likely to play the round beginning on November 21, when Delhi play Rajasthan in Wayanad. He made 1 and 17 in the only Test he played against New Zealand, in Kolkata, before sustaining a fracture in his left thumb after being struck twice by Trent Boult on the third day. He was subsequently ruled out of the third Test in Indore and the limited-overs contests.