ASIA CUP 2023
Rahul will be monitored at the NCA. © BCCI
KL Rahul will be unavailable for the first two games of the 2023 Asia Cup, India’s head coach Rahul Dravid confirmed on Tuesday (August 29). Rahul, who has been on the road to recovery after a lengthy layoff due to an injury, is progressing well according to Dravid but will not be flying with the team to Sri Lanka for the group games.
Having been on the sidelines ever since he got injured during the IPL this year, Rahul did recover in time to get picked in India’s squad for the Asia Cup. However, chief selector Ajit Agarkar had hinted earlier that the 31-year-old might skip at least the opening game of the tournament. Rahul did bat without any visible discomfort in India’s skills camp at Alur recently and had commenced keeping duties as well but a cautious approach has been taken.
India are playing Pakistan in their first game on Saturday (September 2) in Pallekele before taking on Nepal in the other group fixture on Monday. According to Dravid, a call on Rahul’s participation in the Super Fours, should India qualify, will be taken on September 4. While Ishan Kishan is already in the squad as the backup wicketkeeper-batter, Sanju Samson is also present as a travelling reserve.
“He has had a really good week with us, really trained well, he is progressing well on the route we want to take but he will be unavailable for the Kandy leg of the trip,” Dravid said. “The NCA will be looking after him for the next few days while we are travelling. We will reassess on the 4th and then take it from there. But the signs are looking good and he is progressing really well.”
Dravid also brushed aside suggestions that Rahul might be underprepared for the marquee event in October in India. “The way we are looking at it is actually just two less games that he is going to miss,” he remarked. “Both him and Shreyas are in the same boat. He is really batting well, keeping well, he is doing everything, it’s just a slightly more cautious approach leading into the World Cup.
“He will have a couple of match simulations over the next few days which will give him longer time out there in the middle. We are hoping that it’s just two games that he misses and should be available for the latter part of the tour, there is an Australia series as well. I’m not too worried about it. Both him and Shreyas are experienced players.”
© Cricbuzz
