The Asia Cup 2023 is a few days away and Team India is leaving no stone unturned in its preparation for the much-awaited tournament which begins on August 30. The men in blue will kickstart their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on September 2 in Pallekele and before taking off to Sri Lanka, the unit has gathered in Alur for a conditioning camp comprising various fitness routines.
15 high-profile bowlers, including the likes of Umran Malik and Yash Dayal, have been summoned to aid the Indian batters prepare for the tournament. On Friday, the team had an intense practice session and comeback man KL Rahul sweating it out in the nets was one of the major highlights. The Karnataka batter is back into the mix after a few months of injury layoff. He still has a niggle and is expected to be fully fit during the tournament.
According to the Times of India, Rahul began Friday’s session with conditioning coaches. After warming up and his elaborate fitness routine, the right-hander had a long batting session during which he didn’t show any signs of discomfort.
On the other hand, captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill trained in pair followed by Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer. It has also been learned that sinners Sai Kishore and Kuldeep Yadav had a long go at Kohli in the nets.
Focus on KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer
The return of Rahul and Iyer is expected to bolster India’s stuttering middle-order but no game-time before the tournament is the biggest concern. Though they have had match simulations during their stay at the National Cricket Academy, they still lack a real-time match experience in the 50-over format.
Iyer last played an ODI for India in January against Sri Lanka. He was then sidelined due to a recurring back issue that forced him to miss the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 and the subsequent assignments. Rahul, on the other hand, injured his thigh during an IPL 2023 match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Lucknow. His last 50-over game was against Australia in March.
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