Karnataka’s KL Rahul set for Ranji Trophy return after five years
Karnataka’s KL Rahul set for Ranji Trophy return after five years
India batter KL Rahul and pacer Vidwath Kaverappa are set to take the field for Karnataka’s final Ranji Trophy league stage match, which begins at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru from Thursday.
Rahul had missed the previous game against Punjab due to an elbow injury but is fit and will practice with the team on Tuesday and Wednesday, Karnataka chief selector J. Abhiram told Sportstar on Monday.
The 32-year-old last featured in a Ranji Trophy match back in February 2020 against Bengal in Kolkata. His last domestic First-class appearance came during the Duleep Trophy in September last year when he turned out for India A in a losing cause.
A host of India stars, including skipper Rohit Sharma, featured in the last round of the Ranji Trophy following BCCI’s diktat to its senior players to play domestic cricket when available.
Meanwhile, Kaverappa, who last featured in a competitive match in September last year during the Duleep Trophy, will be returning from injury.
Karnataka, placed third in Group C, finds itself in a precarious position ahead of the quarterfinal and will need to win outright against table-topper Haryana to keep its hopes alive in the tournament. It will also hope that Kerala doesn’t win outright against bottom-placed Bihar.
