Recovering Rahul unavailable for first two games of Asia Cup

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 uninvolved since he got harmed during the IPL this year, Rahul recuperated so as to get picked in India's crew for the Asia Cup. Nonetheless, boss selector Ajit Agarkar had indicated before that the 31-year-old could avoid basically the initial round of the competition. Rahul batted with practically no noticeable distress in India's abilities camp at Alur as of late and had started keeping obligations too however a mindful methodology has been taken.

India are playing Pakistan in their most memorable game on Saturday (September 2) in Pallekele prior to taking on Nepal in the other gathering apparatus on Monday. As per Dravid, an approach Rahul's support in the Super Fours, should India qualify, will be taken on September 4. While Ishan Kishan is as of now in the crew as the reinforcement wicketkeeper-hitter, Sanju Samson is likewise present as a voyaging hold.

"He has had a great week with us, truly prepared well, he is advancing great on the course we need to take yet he will be inaccessible for the Kandy leg of the excursion," Dravid said. "The NCA will be caring for him for the following couple of days while we are voyaging. We will rethink on the fourth and afterward take it from that point. Yet, the signs are solid and he is advancing all around well."

Dravid additionally dismissed ideas that Rahul may be underprepared for the marquee occasion in October in India. "The manner in which we are seeing it is only two less games that he will miss," he commented. "Both him and Shreyas are in a comparable situation. He is truly batting great, keeping great, he is doing everything, it's simply a somewhat more mindful methodology driving into the World Cup.

"He will have two or three match reenactments over the course of the following couple of days which will give him longer break there in the center. We are trusting that it's only two games that he misses and ought to be accessible for the last option part of the visit, there is an Australia series also. I'm not excessively stressed. Both him and Shreyas are capable players."