In the early hours of Friday morning, August 25th, the Indian cricket team’s practice session saw KL Rahul embarking on a specialized training regimen. The 31-year-old, donning a fitness-tracking vest, engaged in rigorous exercises meticulously guided by the team’s conditioning coaches. His routine kicked off with a series of stretches followed by a set of shuttle sprints. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill assumed the batting crease, participating in a simulated practice drill facing the deliveries of Mohammed Siraj and left-arm bowler Yash Dayal.
KL Rahul’s presence marked a significant development, as he made a tentative return after an extended absence due to injury. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had recently included him in the Asia Cup squad. On the adjacent side of the training area, Shreyas Iyer, who was also recuperating from a lengthy injury spell, donned his gear and waited his turn to bat alongside the Indian captain, Virat Kohli. In the meantime, Rahul diligently pursued his comprehensive fitness routine. Notably, Rahul had encountered a minor setback in his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy due to a minor issue. After approximately two hours into the morning session at the Platinum Oval in Alur, KL Rahul stepped onto the pitch to join Suryakumar Yadav, who holds the No.5 position in the batting order. The practice strategy dictated that India send out pairs based on their expected batting order, with Kohli and Iyer designated to follow the opening duo of Rohit and Gill, thus forming the top-four sequence. Rahul’s batting session commenced with a thickish outside edge to the third-man boundary; however, he swiftly regained his composure and exhibited no discomfort while facing the seam bowling pair of Shardul Thakur and Akash Deep. His session was closely observed by his captain, Rohit Sharma, and the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar. Although there were no quick runs between the wickets, Rahul displayed decisive footwork and shot-making abilities, executing flick shots through midwicket on separate occasions. As spinners Axar Patel and Mayank Markande took over, Rahul showcased an array of shots from his arsenal, including a couple of sweeps and a reverse sweep against the left-arm spinner. The batting session for the Indian team revolved around simulated match scenarios. The openers were tasked with facing pacers with the new ball before settling in against spinners Rahul Chahar and Ravindra Jadeja. Kohli and Iyer, on the other hand, faced the pace of Mohammed Shami and Yash Dayal, with the fast bowlers even employing short-pitched deliveries to challenge Iyer.
