KL Rahul's long-awaited return to Ranji Trophy with Karnataka confirmed

KL Rahul (Pic: AFP)

Seasoned India batter KL Rahul was on Monday named in the Karnataka squad to face table-toppers Haryana in their final league match of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group C, beginning here on January 30.

Rahul was given a go-ahead by the BCCI medical team as the wicketkeeper batter was rehabilitating from an elbow niggle after the tour to Australia, where he played all the five Tests.

PTI had reported on January 21 that Rahul would play for Karnataka in the final league match which will be his first Ranji Trophy match since appearing against Bengal at Kolkata in 2020.

Most of the senior India players such as Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ravindra Jadeja appeared for their respective domestic sides in the previous round, but Rahul sat out of the match against Punjab which Karnataka won by an innings and 207 runs at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Rahul is expected to train with the Karnataka squad, which will be led by opener Mayank Agarwal, from Tuesday.

Karnataka has also received a boost in their pace bowling department with Vidwath Kaverappa making a return after missing a large part of the ongoing domestic season due to an injury.

Karnataka are placed third in Group C with 19 points behind leaders Haryana (26) and Kerala (21).

A win, preferably with a bonus point, here is mandatory for Karnataka to keep their knockouts hopes alive.

Karnataka squad against Haryana: Mayank Agarwal (captain), KL Rahul, Shreyas Gopal (vice-captain), Devdutt Padikkal, KV Aneesh, R Smaran, KL Shrijith (wk), Abhinav Manohar, Hardik Raj, Prasidh Krishna, Vidwath Kaverappa, Vasuki Koushik, Abhilash Shetty, Yashovardhan Parantap, Nikin Jose, Sujay Sateri (wk), Mohsin Khan

(With agency inputs)