Rahul is understood to have not recovered despite undergoing a successful sports hernia surgery for a lower abdominal injury. He also has pain in his hamstrings.
India will play 3 ODIs in Zimbabwe on 18, 20 and 22 August.
“I wanted to clarify a few things about my health and fitness. I had a successful surgery in June and I started my training with the hope of returning to national duty for the West Indies tour. Unfortunately when I’m in full fitness. On returning, I tested positive for COVID 19,” he tweeted.
🙏🏽 https://t.co/2ULENT5Puk
— KL Rahul (@klrahul) 1659199807000
He hoped to return for the Asia Cup in the UAE.
“This naturally pushes things back a couple of weeks, but my goal is to recover as soon as possible and be available for selection as soon as possible,” he added.
“It’s the highest honor to represent the country and I can’t wait to get back out there in the blue.”
Sunder, Chahar’s return
Off-spinner Washington Sundar, who made a stellar start to his English county career with Lancashire, is back in the team along with seamer Deepak Chahar after a successful completion of his rehabilitation following hamstring and back injuries.
Chahar has not played competitive cricket for five months now and has also missed the 2022 IPL season.
A senior player said, “KL Rahul has recovered from Kovid-19, but his hamstring injury has resurfaced. He was supposed to be picked for Zimbabwe, but now the date of his return cannot be decided.” BCCI A source close to the development told PTI on Saturday.
During this, Virat Kohlicaptain Rohit SharmaRishabh Pant, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya have all been rested from the tour as the ODI squad with less than three months to go for the World T20 is not a top priority for the team.
“Virat had spoken to the selectors that he would be available from the Asia Cup. The first team players will hardly get rest from the Asia Cup till the end of the World T20. So it is a two-week window after the Windies tour when they can rest. can,” the source said.
Washington’s return was on expected lines as it has taken him the past year due to a hand injury and contracting COVID-19.
He has had a successful rehabilitation at the NCA and has already taken five wickets in the three matches he has played for Lancashire.
“It was never in Washington’s case when he would return, as he is India’s No. 1 finger spinner. He needed game time which he got,” the source said.
Shikhar Dhawan will lead the team as usual in the absence of Rohit, Rahul and Pant.
Most of the players who were part of the set-up have been picked along with rookie Rahul Tripathi, having been part of the squad in the Ireland T20Is, after receiving the first call to the ODI squad.
India squad for 3 ODIs: Shikhar Dhawan (capt), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Ishan Kishan (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel , Avesh Khan, Famous Krishna, Mohammad Siraj, Deepak Chahar.