New Delhi: Team India has suffered a setback before the start of the Asia Cup as KL Rahul has been declared unfit for the first 2 matches of the tournament. This means he will not be available for the high-voltage encounter between India and Pakistan on 2 September. The Asia Cup will begin on 30 August with Pakistan and Nepal locking horns in the inaugural match. India will face Nepal in their second group match on 4 September. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super-4 stage. The Asia Cup features 6 teams, divided into two groups. India, Pakistan, and Nepal are in Group A, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan are in Group B.
Coach Rahul Dravid has shared an update on KL Rahul’s recovery through BCCI’s social media. He has said that KL Rahul is making good progress, but he will not be ready for the team’s first 2 matches against Pakistan and Nepal. In his absence, Ishaan Kishan may get a chance to don the gloves. Rahul had been sidelined with an injury for a long time. He is currently training with the team in Bengaluru. Many experts have also questioned Rahul’s comeback after injury.
Iyer is also on a comeback trail
Besides KL Rahul, middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer is also returning from injury for the Asia Cup. Fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna made their comeback in the T20 series against Ireland recently. Both the bowlers had performed well in the series. Wicket-keeper batsman Sanju Samson has been named as a reserve for the Asia Cup. He may also get an opportunity.
31-year-old KL Rahul played his last international match for Team India in March 2023. He has been out of action for almost 6 months. He has played 54 ODIs so far. He has scored 1946 runs in 52 ODI innings at an average of 45. He has hit 5 centuries and 13 half-centuries. His highest score is 112 runs.
