The India cricket team’s jigsaw is slowly coming back together after a string of setbacks. Following Jasprit Bumrah’s return to the Indian squad, there’s more positive news for Indian cricket enthusiasts.
Middle-order batters KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer have finally stepped onto the practice nets. Rahul has resumed batting and glovework sessions at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), a development that could significantly bolster India’s Playing XI in the 50-overs format. Iyer has also joined him in these practice sessions. Both players are displaying full intensity during their net practice sessions.
Rahul and Iyer were integral components of India’s ODI team before sustaining injuries earlier this year. Their absence led the Men in Blue to experiment with their batting lineup during the recently concluded ODI series against West Indies.
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Rahul and Iyer show signs of regaining fitness with intense practice session
A media release from the BCCI last month had informed that both Rahul and Iyer had resumed practice. Now a video, which has since gone viral on social media, shows Rahul batting with fluent strokes, indicating his readiness to reclaim his number five position in the 50-over playing XI. The 31-year-old has also been practicing wicketkeeping, signalling his preparedness to contribute to multiple facets of the game. Another video showcases Iyer’s confident batting form.
Here are the videos:
Venkatesh Iyer bowling to KL Rahul at NCA
Looks like he's playing comfortably.pic.twitter.com/K1n5soEXnY
— Don Cricket 🏏 (@doncricket_) August 11, 2023
KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer in the practice match.
Rishabh Pant watching them! pic.twitter.com/aDWVc52zOm
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) August 14, 2023
Rahul got injured during an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match. The Bengaluru-born cricketer pulled his calf muscle while chasing a ball against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. He underwent treatment in London and has been training at the NCA in recent weeks.
On the other hand, Iyer’s recurring back injury was aggravated during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) against Australia earlier this year, leading to the 28-year-old subsequent absence from both IPL 2023 and the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia.
India are yet to unveil their squad for the Asia Cup 2023 and the team management will certainly heave a sigh of relief after watching the latest video.The continental tournament is scheduled to take place in Sri Lanka and Pakistan from August 30 and September 17.
