KL Rahul returned to the nets after facing an injury scare ahead of the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. This comes as a significant boost for Team India, who are set to lock horns against hosts Australia in the first Test at Perth from November 22. During a simulation match between India and India A, Rahul was forced to retire hurt after taking a blow to his elbow while batting on 28 against Prasidh Krishna on the first day of the practice match, and was unable to continue his innings.
KL Rahul took a blow to his elbow on Friday and the 32-year-old also missed Saturday’s training session, which led to concerns about the severity of his injury. However, on Sunday, Rahul returned to practice, batting for nearly an hour at the centre wicket. He reportedly faced bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj before having a net session with both the old and new balls.
Rahul’s Recovery Comes As Relief For India As Gill Set To Miss Perth Test
Rahul’s return comes as a significant relief for the Indian team ahead of the BGT opener in Perth, especially after Shubman Gill was ruled out of the first IND vs AUS Test due to a thumb fracture he sustained during fielding drills. Gill is not expected to recover in time for the Perth Test, but with a considerable break between the first and second Tests, Gill should be fit for the match at Adelaide Oval.
In case India’s regular captain Rohit Sharma, who is on a paternity leave, doesn’t feature in the first Test, Rahul is expected to open the batting alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. Rahul had previously lost his place in the team following India’s 3-0 home series defeat to New Zealand, where he scored just 12 runs in two innings while batting at number six in the Bengaluru Test.
AUS & IND squads for the 1st Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy:
Australia Squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc
India Squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.
