Lucknow Super Giants captain KL Rahul is gearing up to join his franchise for the opening match of the IPL after receiving clearance from the National Cricket Academy. However, he has been advised against taking up wicket-keeping duties in the initial games.
Rahul faced a setback with a quadriceps strain during the first Test against England in Hyderabad. Despite expectations of rejoining the team for the third game, the right-handed batsman felt muscle tightness and opted out of the remaining matches.
In a recent video shared by Rahul, he showcased his batting skills along with some basic keeping drills and outfielding practice at the NCA.
According to a BCCI source familiar with Lucknow Super Giants' developments, Rahul will reunite with his teammates on Thursday before their journey to Jaipur for the opening clash against Rajasthan Royals on March 24. He has been advised to refrain from squatting initially and will focus solely on batting for the first few games.
The franchise seems unperturbed by Rahul's absence behind the stumps, as they possess two proficient wicket-keepers in Quinton de Kock and Nicholas Pooran, the latter also serving as the vice-captain for the season.
Nevertheless, for Rahul, wicket-keeping remains crucial for his aspirations of securing a spot in the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies in June.
Sources suggest that Rahul's chances for a top-three batting position in the Indian T20 team are slim due to his past performances. However, he could potentially fill the role of a keeper-batsman at positions 5 or 6 if he performs well in the IPL. Rinku Singh emerges as another option besides Rishabh Pant, who could stake a claim with impactful performances.
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