It was along expected lines. KL Rahul will not play India’s opening two matches in the Asia Cup.
“KL Rahul is progressing really will but will not be available for India’s first two matches – against Pakistan and Nepal – of the Asia Cup Head Coach Rahul Dravid,” the BCCI tweeted, quoting head coach Rahul Dravid.
India begin their campaign against Pakistan on September 2. Two days later, they play Nepal on September 4.
Ishan Kishan is likely to play as the wicketkeeper-batter in the first two games. Rahul will be available from the Super 4 stage, that is if India qualify for it. Sanju Samson is also an option.
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It had always seemed unlikely that Rahul would start the tournament, given the demands of a keeper-batsman’s job and his long layoff caused by a thigh and calf injury. Worse, he developed an unrelated minor injury as well, according to the BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar.
Rahul did undergo extensive rehab at the National Cricket Academy before the Asia Cup. He also attended the six-day fitness and medical camp in Alur, Bengaluru, along with the team. But he did not take the fitness test.
A couple of weeks ago, former India coach Ravi Shastri had expressed doubts over Rahul’s participation in the Asia Cup. In fact, he called it a “straight no.”
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"When you are talking of a player who has not played (nearly four months) and is recovering from injury. To think of him in the playing eleven of Asia Cup, you are asking a little too much of the player,” Shastri said during a television panel discussion.
“And then you are talking [wicket] keeping when the guy has come from a knee injury, the range of movement, things like (that). That is a no, no straight.”
Rahul suffered the calf injury during the IPL and then had surgery in London. Post surgery he worked on hiss recover at the NCA with Shreyas Iyer and Jasprit Bumrah.
