IND vs ZIM 2022: 3 things KL Rahul must focus on
KL Rahul's return to international cricket is good news for India. A sports hernia and COVID-19 sidelined the batter for the last few months and he now makes a comeback in the Indian side fold to lead the side in their three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe starting August 18.
Last week, he was named in India's full-strength squad for the Asia Cup, slated to start on August 27.
For Rahul, the tour serves as the perfect challenge and an opportunity for him to set the record straight and make himself a bonafide matchwinner to have as India prepares for a jam-packed remainder of the year.
On that note, we take a look at three things he must focus on when the team touches down in Zimbabwe and takes the field for their three-match series.
#1 Get some runs under his belt
KL Rahul's last competitive stint was in IPL 2022 and since then, India has tried quite a few players across positions. The Lucknow Super Giants skipper's injuries meant that he sat out of action and while his skill set was never in question, the immediate demand would be to get some runs under his belt.
With competition heating up as India gear up for the 2022 T20 World Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup, KL Rahul's form will become crucial for India at the top.
#2 KL Rahul gets another shot to turn his India captaincy fortunes around
The Karnataka batter didn't have the most ideal of starts as team India's skipper. Earlier this year, KL Rahul-led-India lost the ODI series against South Africa after being blanked 3-0. With a fresh contingent, the batter has a shot at getting a series win and setting up his captaincy journey right.
With the Karnataka batter considered to be one of the future skippers, the time is ripe for Rahul to make his case that he can lead from the front in the international circuit.
#3 Stay injury-free
Injuries have hampered Rahul's international run a few times and the focus will be on him staying injury-free as he prepares for a grueling schedule that sees India take on Australia and South Africa, respectively, after the Asia Cup 2022.
After being shuttled around in the middle-order for a brief period, Rahul is expected to partner Rohit Sharma at the top, and he must stay at his fittest best.