After his failure to replicate the success of Perth in Adelaide, there were growing calls of dropping K L Rahul back to No.6, but the Karnataka right-hander continued to enjoy the backing of the team management, and walked out as the opener at the Gabba.
India’s Test stalwart Cheteshwar Pujara has voiced his support for KL Rahul to retain his place at the top of the order, even suggesting that Rohit Sharma could move down to No.3 to accommodate him for the day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval, starting December 6.
Putting behind the batting blues of the opening day, India came back strongly to gain firm control over the Perth Test against Australia with openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and K L Rahul taking the first-innings lead of 46 - earned through a Jasprit Bumrah fifer - and stretched it past 200 by the end of the second day’s play at the Optus Stadium on Saturday.
In what comes as welcome news for India in their build-up to the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test starting on November 22, KL Rahul returned to batting during the team's training session at the WACA Stadium on Sunday.
Star batter K L Rahul was forced to retire hurt after being hit by a rising delivery from Prasidh Krishna during the team’s intra-squad match simulation at the WACA in Perth on Friday.
Everyone has his own opinion. It doesn't bother big players like Virat
NCA head VVS Laxman was also spotted, suggesting that he could be the head coach for the ODI series against Zimbabwe.
The 30-year-old Rahul has been out of action for a while with a sports hernia, with Covid-19 extending his stint on the sidelines
However, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will be unable to compete due to a back injury. Harshal Patel will also be absent due to a rib injury.
In a video posted on July 26 by the BCCI on their Twitter account about T20I squad members like Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Dinesh Karthik among others joining the ODI team in Trinidad, netizens were curious about where Rahul was.
