India’s vice-captain Shikhar Dhawan believes the upcoming three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe will be a good outing for KL Rahul before the all-important Asia Cup. Rahul will return to competitive cricket after leading Lucknow Super Giants to the playoff stages in the IPL. The right-hander had scored 616 runs in the tournament and had batted at the top of his game.
However, Rahul was ruled out of the five-match T20I series against South Africa due to a groin injury. Subsequently, he underwent Sports Hernia surgery in Germany and then tested positive for Covid-19, which ruled him out of the series against the West Indies.
The flamboyant batter will look to hit the ground running against Zimbabwe and get crucial game time under his belt. Rahul is expected to open the innings with Rohit Sharma in the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup and he is going to hold the key for the Men in Blue.
“It is very good news that KL (Rahul) is back and will be leading the side as well. He is one of the main players of this Indian team. It will be a good outing for him before the Asia Cup gets underway. I am sure he will gain a lot from this tour,” Dhawan told reporters at a media conference here.
The Indian team which will face Zimbabwe is full of young players and it will be a great opportunity for them to grab their chances. Dhawan added he will be happy to help any young players, who would seek his advice at the top level.
“I quite enjoy sharing my experience with the youngsters in the team. I first came here in 2014 (actually 2013), when Duncan Fletcher was the Indian coach. If they (youngsters) reach out to me for any suggestions, I am (always) there to answer them,” Dhawan added.
On the other hand, Shahbaz Ahmed replaced Washington Sundar in the squad as the latter was ruled out due to a shoulder injury.
The first ODI between Zimbabwe and India will take place in Harare on Thursday.
India ODI squad: KL Rahul (c), Shikhar Dhawan (vc), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Ishan Kishan (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shahbaz Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Mohd Siraj, Deepak Chahar.
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