KL Rahul is reportedly set to make his return to the first-class format when his state side, Karnataka take on Haryana in Bengaluru. The 32-year-old’s return to the domestic format will be a massive boost for the side who look to maintain their winning momentum.
According to a report by the Times of India, the Karnataka State Cricket Association’s (KSCA) President, Raghuram Bhat confirmed the news regarding Rahul’s participation in the upcoming first-class game.
“I am not in Bengaluru at the moment but from the information I have received, he is available for the last Ranji Trophy match,” the report quoted the KSCA President.
Rahul was not available for the previous game against Punjab due to a niggle but is set to make his return in the premier domestic tournament. The side led by Mayank Agarwal, will look to secure a bonus point victory over Haryana to ensure that they keep their qualification hopes alive.
Along with Rahul, several other Test stars will also be in action. The likes of Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj will be available for the upcoming games for Delhi and Hyderabad respectively. Kohli will also return to the first-class format after 13 years. The likes of Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill and Ravindra Jadeja had already taken part in the previous round of fixtures.
The Test stars’ participation in the domestic tournament comes after a disappointing tour of Australia where the side was crushed with a 1-3 series defeat, which also ended their chances of securing a spot in the World Test Championship final as well.
Senior stars were under heavy scrutiny for their poor performances which then prompted the BCCI to take effective measures ahead of the new cycle. But KL Rahul had a fairly impressive performance when asked to open the batting. He played a crucial role when partnering Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top of the order, allowing them to take the win in the opening Test at Perth.
It remains to be seen if he will take up his position as an opener or a middle-order batter as and when he makes his return for Karnataka’s game and also if he will don the gloves as well.
